JW Lees is a brewery in Middleton, Greater Manchester that has produced real ale since 1828. Its core brands are JW Lees Bitter, Golden Original, and Moonraker. It also owns and operates 170 pubs, primarily in the North West of England, with some in 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 whole of the UK.

History

The brewery was formed in 1828 when retired cotton manufacturer John Lees purchased some land in Middleton. There he 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.

In the last decade, Greengate Brewery has featured in the television show Most Haunted due to its illustrious history, and more recently has been visited by Prince Charles.

The company is family owned and operated to the present day, with several members of the sixth generation of the Lees-Jones family joining the company in the 1990s.

The future

In 2007, JW 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 JW 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.

Willoughby's, their wine company, has its own illustrious heritage stemming back to 1850, and they are also looking to expand. The 14th September 2007 saw the opening of the first Willoughby's wine warehouse, in Frodsham, Cheshire. The store will sell wines by the case to the public at wholesale prices. The store will be the first in what will become a nationwide chain.

In November 2007, JW 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 JW Lees' pubs. Grip Glasses are also available for purchase on the JW Lees website; this is the first time the brewery has attempted any form of online retail.

Products

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

Draught beer

Name	abv	Tasting Notes
JW Lees Cask Bitter	4%	An amber beer with a malty fruit aftertaste
JW Lees Extra Smooth Bitter	3.9%
JW Lees Dark Smooth Bitter	3.4%
Golden Original Lager	4%	First Brewed in 1995. Golden Original Lager was brewed to a new recipe with a new yeast in 2000.
Greengate Smooth	3.9%	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.
Scorcher	4.2%	Light, golden beer with a fruity aroma and refreshing hop finish.

Bottled

Name	abv	Tasting Notes
Moonraker Strong Ale	7.5%
John Willies Bitter	4.5%	Amber-coloured with a small head, sweet malty and fruity aroma.
Scorcher	4.2%	Light, golden beer with a fruity aroma and refreshing hop finish.
Harvest Ale	11.5%	Silky smooth, syrupy sweet, and gum-tinglingly warm.

JW Lees pubs

There are 172 Lees' pubs, primarily in the North West of England, with some in Wales. These include The Rembrandt on Manchester's Canal Street, the Rainbar, Manchester and The Huntsman Inn, Holmfirth. In 2009 Lees bought ten new pubs from Punch Taverns.

JW Lees Passport

This is a competition run every 4 years. You get a little red passport with all the Lees pubs listed.You have a year to have a half at every pub.

External links

• JW Lees Homepage
• Manchester Food & Drink Awards 2007
• Beer Advocate brewery profile