Sardine City - Manchester Airport's new Spoons can't cope with the love

Turns out everyone wanted an airport Spoons. The Belle Vue, the first Wetherspoon at Manchester Airport, has just opened in Terminal 2, and the Manchester Evening News says it's been rammed ever since.

The pub takes its theme from the old Belle Vue sports ground, with vintage circus, speedway and greyhound posters, plus a wall of lockers paying tribute to local sporting legends like Luke Littler, Ricky Hatton and Marcus Rashford. It covers 338 square metres, seats 300 and opens from the first flight to the last, which works out at roughly 3am to 10pm.

The demand is the problem. One traveller found a queue outside at 5am and called the inside "sardine city". Others complained the tables were crammed in, and one said they'd queued only to find the Guinness had run out. Wetherspoon put it down to exceptional demand and the legal capacity limits every pub has to follow. It apologised, said it's ordering more Guinness and will look into the flat beer complaint, and expects things to calm down once the opening rush is over. The airport points out there are plenty of other bars nearby, including the Great Northern Market food hall next door.

So what for hospo people? Spare a thought for the team pulling pints to a queue at 5am while people moan about the Guinness. Be nice to your airport bartender. They didn't set the capacity limit.