JW Lees adds managed site from Marston's

A northern pub operator and brewer is set to continue the expansion of its managed estate, following an agreement to buy a single site from Marston's plc.

JW Lees is set to acquire The Bellflower pub and restaurant in Garstang, Lancashire, for an undisclosed fee. 

It follows the recent purchase of The Craigside Hotel in Little Orme in Llandudno from Whitbread.

"We are delighted to be acquiring The Bellflower from Marston’s and it will take our Managed Pub estate to 49 sites under company management," says William Lees-Jones, managing director of JW Lees. "We have grown our business in Lancashire in recent years with the Boot & Shoe in Lancaster, which we bought from Daniel Thwaites plc and the Halfway House in Clayton-le-Woods, which we also bought off Marston’s. 

"We are seeing our footprint grow in the north west so that we now operate pubs from Crewe to Lancaster and from Holyhead to Holmfirth. We will be closing The Bellflower on completion for a complete refurbishment before we reopen the site in good time for Christmas trading."

JW Lees is a seventh-generation family brewery company, founded in 1828 by retired cotton manufacturer John Lees. The business runs 49 managed pubs, inns and hotels, and also lets another 87 pubs to JW Lees pub partners.

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