History was made this morning when the very first Wetherspoons outside of the UK opened, and I was there to see if it matches up to the classic pub back home.

Just down the coast from Benidorm, Alicante-Elche Miguel Hernández Airport is the lucky venue of Europe’s first branch of the iconic pub chain. At 11am on Monday, British airline passengers watched as the ceremonial ribbon was cut before flooding through the door for a taste of Spanish spoons.

Named Castell de Santa Bàrbera after a nearby mountain fort, the pub has a few nods towards its Spanish hosts, such as a menu printed in both Spanish and English, a ‘Spanish tortilla’ dish, and staff that flit easily between the two languages.

But, overall, it is overwhelmingly a British outfit. The bulk of the menu is classic British grub, served up alongside pints of Stella and tins of Old Speckled Hen. In the days prior to the grand opening, a photo of the drinks menu situated outside the pub was shared on Facebook, prompting a mixed response in the comments.

“Wow, it’s even dearer than the Wetherspoons in Dublin,” one potential punter grumbled. Another added: “Not the Wetherspoons prices we were thinking.” However, the overwhelming feeling in the comments and in the pub itself at the grand opening was positive.

Everyone we spoke to on the day was chuffed to enjoy a spot of Spoons before their flight home. The very first paying customer was Daz Sunderland, who exclusively shared his first post-sip thoughts with the Mirror after stopping by for a pint after a weekend in Benidorm with his wife.

“I was the very first customer through the door. It’s absolutely excellent. Big success. Cheers, everyone,” the 57-year-old lead worker from Solihull said.

Alexander Ellis, from Windsow, bought himself a £25 return ticket from the UK purely to try out the new Spoons. “For the past three weeks, I knew I was going to be here. It just makes me proud to be British. Up the Tim.” Alexander’s only criticisms were that the pub was smaller than he expected, and that the menu didn’t have that many Spanish options. 

One woman, who lives in Benidorm with her husband, bought a plane ticket to Krakow just so she could get into the departures lounge to visit the Spoons. After drinking her pint, she binned the ticket and headed back home.

Bernedette Ferguson popped in for a swift half pint before jetting back home to Walsall after a weekend in the Old Town of Benidorm with her sister. “The beer tastes good, everyone is really, really friendly,” the optician explained. “The prices are really good. Same as home.”

Daniel Pugh Jones, a travel agent from Swansea, added: “We just ordered two all-day brunches, and it wasn’t too expensive for an airport. The drinks aren’t too bad either. We paid 12.95 euros each. It’s a bit early for a pint for me, but coffees were 3.30, and it’s free refills all day.”

Most of the punters in Spoons on the opening day were British, but among the smaller Spanish contingent was Javier Salazar. Alicante-born but a fan of the pub chain from his time in Edinburgh, Javier said: “It is beautiful, gorgeous. I like that they’ve adapted the menu to a Spanish one.”

Staff at the grand opening hinted that more European Spoons would open, but remained tight-lipped about their locations and timeline. The only hint dropped was that they’d have ales on tap: unlike the Castell de Santa Bàrbera, which has focused on Spanish and English lagers.

The new-build pub is open seven days a week from 6am to 9pm. A key feature is its open courtyard, which lets departure-side passengers enjoy a pint and a cigarette before their pint. There is only one other bar in Alicante Airport where passengers can light up. Food is served at all times up to an hour before closing.

Wetherspoon founder and chairman Tim Martin said: “We are delighted to have opened in Spain. We believe the pub will be popular with a wide range of customers travelling home from Alicante Airport, including those travelling home to the UK and those using the terminal for trips to England and beyond. We aim to open a number of pubs overseas in the coming months and years, including those at airports.”

Lagardère Travel Retail Spain and Portugal chief executive officer, Javier Cagigal, added: “At Alicante Airport, our team has focused on understanding passenger expectations and translating that insight into a dining offer that is relevant and appealing.This opening reflects our locally driven approach and the way we work with partner brands across our portfolio.”