William Lees Jones: Last News

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s ‘Brexit pub guarantee’, as announced in his first budget yesterday, has been met with confusion by the hospitality industry. Hunt announced yesterday that tax on draught beer in pubs will be frozen from August 1.

The boss of JW Lees has 'barred' Scottish first minster Nicola Sturgeon, leader of the Welsh Labour Party Mark Drakeford and members of Sage from his pubs. William Lees-Jones tweeted last night: “The @JWLeesBrewery Christmas gift to the UK this year is that we're barring the following from all of our pubs - @NicolaSturgeon @MarkDrakeford @SusanMichie @Zubhaque @Peston @neil_ferguson.” The tongue-in-cheek tweet was accompanied by a gif of a man being forcibly ejected from a pub and rolling into the gutter.

direct to your inboxAn historic Northern Quarter pub has been targeted by vandals while closed in lockdown.Large sections of the distinctive green and grey tiled exterior of Gullivers on Oldham Street have been covered in graffiti.The 150-year-old pub is closed due to the pandemic.William Lees-Jones, managing director of JW Lees Brewery, tweeted: "As if pubs aren't having a tough enough time already - who would do this sort of thing?"Gullivers owner Jonny Booth said while the vandalism was disappointing he had some sympathy for those responsible.He said: "While it’s easy to paint pictures of marauding youths and it’s for sure very annoying and disappointing, I try to be more pragmatic."Gullivers is, I suspect, probably an arbitrary target