These results reflect the hard work, productivity and commitment shown by the JW Lees Teams
JW Lees has seen a record year for financial performance, topping record sales of £105.6 million and a record profit before tax of £8.8 million.
These results reflect the hard work, productivity and commitment shown by the various JW Lees Teams at all levels within the business and the focus on JW Lees delivering ‘hospitality with brewing at its heart’ to guests across all pubs, inns and hotels in the North West.
During the year, JW Lees core draught beer sales were up by 3.7% including the highly successful re-launch of Boddingtons Cask Bitter after 12 years of absence which JW Lees now brews and distributes under a license from Budweiser Brewing Group.
JW Lees invested more than £10m in its existing estate of pubs, inns and hotels during the year with more than 20 major refurbishments, as well as the further growth of its Retail Operator format which is now in place at eight of the company’s pubs, as well as running 45 Managed sites and 85 Pub Partner sites.
Since the year-end JW Lees has also acquired two new pubs, The Royal Oak in Glossop and the Bull’s Head in Poynton, which JW Lees is currently investing in before re-openings in July and September.
On the 2026 results William Lees-Jones said, “It’s fantastic for JW Lees to report a record year both in terms of turnover and profitability. The long hot summer of 2025 was a great way to start the year and our teams pulled together to drive higher productivity at JW Lees to new levels. Brewing and hospitality are tough sectors right now and we continue to be impacted by above-inflation rises in labour rates, high business rates and little or no useful support from [the] Government. We hope that Andy Burnham can change all that, with more favourable policies to help the hospitality sector which will also create new jobs.
For family businesses like JW Lees the changes that Rachel Reeves brought in to change Business Property Relief (BPR) have made things even tougher since we are now having to plan for higher levels of inheritance tax for our family shareholders and this will inevitably lead to reduced investment in the business.
At a time when the UK economy desperately needs growth it seems unfair that the Government has handed competitive advantage to overseas companies and private equity who are not exposed to these costs and this negatively impacts UK family businesses’ ability to invest with family businesses making up more than 50% of all UK private sector jobs. JW Lees will do whatever it takes to remain a family company as we approach our 200th anniversary in 2028.”
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