JW Lees MD – ‘government measures mean we are spending too much time worrying about tax and succession rather than investing and creating jobs’: William Lees-Jones, managing director of north west brewer and retailer JW Lees, has said the sector is “spending too much time worrying about tax and succession rather than investing in our businesses and creating jobs” as a result of government measures. It comes as the business reported retail sales are up 10.8% in the first 38 weeks of its financial year commencing April 2025. During 2025-26, JW Lees said it will continue to grow predominantly by investing in its existing estate and, where opportunities arise, with the acquisition of new freehold pubs, inns and hotels in the north west, as the company continues to build to its 200th anniversary in 2028. Lees-Jones said: “We were lucky with the weather in the early part of the year but we brew great beer and have great pubs run by great people and that’s why we’re outperforming the market. Our performance in our invested sites is particularly strong and we can see how much our guests enjoy the JW Lees pub experience with current guest satisfaction for the year running at 92%. That said, the increased costs which the chancellor imposed on us in her two Budgets mean the business will inevitably be less profitable and so we need to be cautious and focus on productivity. We are calling on the chancellor to put measures in place to support hospitality and family businesses since we need incentives to invest and grow and at the moment we are spending too much time worrying about tax and succession rather than investing in our businesses and creating jobs.” As previously reported, JW Lees saw turnover increase to £99.9m for the year ending 31 March 2025 (2024: £95.8m) while pre-tax profit stayed in line at £7.1m (2024: £7.1m).

Propel’s sector-leading guide to the UK’s 500 largest hospitality companies returns in January, to be made free to Premium subscribers on day of publication: The Propel 500 – 2026 report will analyse the companies leading the charge in hospitality, reporting on turnover, number of sites, and key staff. The guide will also include exclusive analysis to provide a full understanding of the market’s dynamics. Mark Wingett will delve into the mergers and acquisitions shaping the future of the top 500. Tim Street dissects the UK’s rapidly-developing franchise market and, as the experiential leisure sector becomes a cornerstone of modern hospitality, Katherine Doggrell will assess the rise of deals in the sector, as well as the shifts in the hotel industry. Data expert Mark Bentley, business development director at HDI, will look at emerging growth sectors and Meaningful Vision founder Maria Vanifatova will analyse the latest trends in the quick service restaurant market. Propel 500 – 2026 will be released on Friday, 9 January at 9am and will be available free to Premium Club subscribers. The report will be available to non-Premium Club subscribers for £595 plus VAT. A Premium Club subscription costs an annual sum of £495 plus VAT for operators and £595 plus VAT for suppliers. Companies can now have an unlimited number of people receive access to Premium Club for a year for £995 plus VAT – whether they are an operator or supplier. Email kai.kirkman@propelinfo.com today to sign up.

Boiling live lobsters to be banned in Labour crackdown: Boiling live crab and lobster is to be banned as part of an animal rights crackdown by Labour. In its long-awaited animal welfare strategy published yesterday Monday (22 December) the government said “live boiling is not an acceptable killing method” and pledged to publish guidance on approved practices. It comes after laws introduced under the Conservatives in 2022 determined that decapods, which include crabs, lobsters and crayfish, and cephalopods, such as squid and octopuses, are sentient. The ban forms part of a wider overhaul by Labour that will also end trail-hunting and potentially prohibit the use of cages for chickens and crates for pigs. Restaurateurs and the seafood industry criticised the plans, accusing the government of burdening businesses with more red tape at a time of rising wages and other costs. James Chiavarini, who owns Il Portico and La Palombe, two restaurants in Kensington, west London, told The Telegraph: “I think it’s the aim of this government to remove us from our sense of place and purpose in the world and that’s what a lot of food tradition stands for.” Other methods of despatching shellfish include electrocution or freezing to stun them before boiling them. Chiavarini said: “Electrocution is a ridiculous thing. What are we supposed to do – shove them in a plug socket? Honestly, what restaurant is going to actually electrocute the lobsters before boiling them?” Industry experts said banning live boiling could lead to a surge in frozen seafood being imported. David Jarrad, chief executive of Shellfish Association of Great Britain, said: “If somebody’s wanting to buy a live crab or lobster, they’re not going to pay for it if it’s already dead. In practice, there is an inherent advantage to the whole supply chain to look after the product to your best ability without causing crustaceans stress so that we can get top prices for them.” Labour has also pledged to look at improving the welfare of shellfish throughout the supply chain, including conditions for prawns as well as squid and octopus.