JDW shuts pubs estate to add cold dispense
Every pub in the JD Wetherspoon estate is closing for two or three days as the company installs a £15m beer-dispense system.
A total of 150 pubs have already seen short closures to instal the Glycol cooling system with the remaining 500 pubs due to close for a few days in the coming months.There are one or two companies starting to use it but we're doing it properly across the estateJohn Hutson, Chief executive JDW
Glycol dispense systemChairman Tim Martin said: "Glycol beer-dispense system drops the temperature of ciders, lagers and some other beers to 1°C to 3°C, compared with the average temperature of dispense in competitors' pubs of about 6°C to 8°C.
"We're investing about £15m in this project and will be the only substantial company offering this great new system in virtually all its pubs by the end of the autumn."
Moving onChief executive John Hutson said: "We're moving our beer dispense on with a view to the next 10 years.
"It means installing new pythons and pubs would be without draught beer and there will be a lot of drilling on the bar - so it would be difficult to have customers in the pubs during the process.
"But we think it's a first in the industry. There are one or two companies starting to use it but we're doing it properly across the estate. You can't achieve these temperatures with the traditional water-based cooling system."
Cask ale at 11°CHutson said that cask ale would continue to be served at about 11°C.
The installation of the Glycol beer dispense is an initiative the company is due to announce at its results tomorrow (Friday).
Publicity shots for the results are expected to feature Hutson holding a pint at
one of the pubs that has already seen Glycol introduced.
