JW Lees Brewery

J.W. Lees

Industry	Alcoholic beverage
Founded	1828
Founder(s)	John Lees
Headquarters	Manchester, UK
Products	Beer
Owner(s)	The Lees-Jones Family
Website	http://www.jwlees.co.uk

J.W. Lees is a British brewery based in Middleton, Greater Manchester that has produced real ale since 1828. Its permanent brands are J.W. Lees Bitter, first brewed in 1828, John Willie's Premium Ale, Coronation Street Premium Ale (brewed under licence from ITV), Brewer's Dark, Moonraker, Dark Smooth, Extra Smooth, Greengate Smooth, Golden Original Lager, and Bohemia Regent Premium Lager (imported from the Czech Republic), as well as a range of seasonal beers changing throughout the year. The brewery also owns and operates 173 pubs, primarily in the North West of England and North Wales. It is one of the few remaining independent family brewers operating in the UK today. It also owns wine distributor Willoughby's, which supplies wines and spirits to many venues across the UK.

History

John Lees

The brewery was formed in 1828 when retired cotton manufacturer John Lees purchased some land in Middleton, Greater Manchester and built Greengate Brewery, from which the company still operates. The company was renamed J.W. Lees & Co. Brewers, when John Lees' grandson, John William Lees, took over the company in 1876.

The company is still family owned and operated to the present day. When William, Simon, Christina and Michael Lees-Jones joined Richard and Christopher at JW Lees in the 1990s they were the sixth generation from the founder.

In June 2004, Greengate Brewery was included in the television show Most Haunted, and in 2003 HRH Prince Charles, The Prince of Wales, visited to celebrate the brewery's 175th anniversary.

Willoughby's Wine Merchants

Willoughby's is the name of J.W. Lees' wines and spirits operation. Running as a separate business, the company itself has its own illustrious heritage stemming back to 1850.

Marketing

In 2007, J.W. Lees launched an advertising campaign named 'Be Yourself'. The campaign is reflected in all marketing material produced by the brewery, including billboard and print advertising and their website. The aim of the campaign is to acknowledge the traditional Northern roots of the family-owned brewery.

The campaign also highlights the fact that J.W. Lees real ales are brewed to the strictest purity standards, and that the company has recently invested in the pubs that make up their estate. Subsequently their pubs are being recognised for their standards, with The Tandle Hill Tavern, Royton, nominated and then winning Pub of the Year at the 2007 Manchester Food & Drink Awards.

In November 2007, J.W. Lees launched the "Grip Glass." This is essentially a beer glass with grooves designed to fit into your hand, and it is available in most of J.W. Lees pubs. Grip Glasses are also available for purchase on the J.W. Lees website.

To celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Coronation Street, J.W. Lees signed an advertising deal with ITV to produce a real ale bearing the soap's name. The ale can be purchased in draft and bottles at J.W. Lees public houses, and can also be purchased in bottles directly from J.W. Lees and local supermarkets around the Manchester area.

Products

Moonraker Bottled Ale

J.W. Lees public houses offer a selection of draught and bottled alcoholic beverages.

Draught beer

Name	abv	Tasting Notes
J.W. Lees Cask Bitter	4%	An amber beer with a malty and citrus fruit aftertaste, made from ale and crystal malt, and goldings hops. First brewed in 1828.
J.W. Lees Extra Smooth Bitter	3.9%	A rich, auburn coloured beer with a distinguished grapefruit and zesty aroma.
J.W. Lees Dark Smooth Bitter	3.5%	A dark, mahogany colured beer with a smooth, orasted aroma accompanied by a soft, sweet chocolate taste.
Golden Original Lager	4%	First Brewed in 1995. Golden Original Lager was brewed to a new recipe with a new yeast in 2000. It's a clean, light coloured lager, with an enticing hoppy aroma.
Greengate Smooth	3.2%	Distinctive pale ale, with an amber colour and topped with a smooth, creamy head.
Brewer's Dark	3.5%	Smooth, well-rounded, light-coloured, mild, with a malty and fruity aroma. First brewed in 2005.

Bottled

Name	abv	Tasting Notes
Moonraker Strong Ale	7.5%	A reddish brown beer with a strong, fruity aroma accompanied by a rich, sweet flavour.
John Willies Bitter	4.5%	Amber-coloured with a small head, sweet malty and fruity aroma.
Coronation Street Premium Ale	4.2%	A rich, auburn premium ale with a hoppy, malty aroma.
The Governor	4.1%	Co-created by Marco Pierre White, this amber/auburn beer a floral, citrus aroma with a clean, dry taste.
Harvest Ale	11.5%	Silky smooth, syrupy sweet, and gum-tinglingly warm.

In addition, J.W. Lees brews Ansells Mild, and Best Bitter for Carlsberg.

Public houses

A J.W. Lees pub in Middleton

J.W. Lees has 173 public houses, primarily in residential areas in the North West of England and North Wales. Most public houses are run by tenant landlords, however some of the larger houses (in particular those that provide pub food) are managed by the brewery. In 2009 J.W. Lees bought ten new pubs from Punch Taverns.

This is a competition run every few years. The aim of the competition is to have a pint of J.W. Lees beer (only ales, bitter or lager brewed by J.W. Lees) in every one of their 162 participating public houses across the North West of England and North Wales. Customers can take part by picking up a pocket-sized passport at participating J.W. Lees pubs. The passport has every participating J.W. Lees pub listed and the aim is to have the passport stamped at each establishment. The trail runs for 12 months and there are prizes available for customers who reach 25, 50, 125 and 162 pubs visited. The main prize is a VIP after hours party at Greengate Brewery, hosted by the head brewer and members of the Lees-Jones family.

External links

• JW Lees Homepage