Tributes as former NLVA president and pub trade veteran Ron Jones dies

His trade career spanned more than 30 years beginning as a manager with Whitbread leading to a long spell as a Bass tenant in South Yorkshire which included more than 15 years as licensee of the Robin Hood & Little John near Doncaster.

He led the national trade body during its heyday in the late 1980s when the movement had more than 15,000 members comprising tenants of national and regional brewery pub estates.

Jones was a long serving member and chairman of the Bass National Tenant Stream besides his own Doncaster LVA where he was also a former chairman.

His spell as National LVA president coincided with major changes across the tenanted pub arena following the Government Beer Orders in 1989 which saw the national brewers begin to sell-off thousands of pubs to the emerging pub companies.

On the demise of the National LVA in 1992 Jones was instrumental in setting up the new Federation of Licensed Victuallers Associations which now represents pub tenants and lessees in the north of England.

Former FLVA chief executive, Tony Payne, described Jones as a trade leader who held the respect of everyone within the pub, brewing and drinks industry.

“He was a blunt speaking Yorkshireman who was never afraid to voice his strong opinions in defence of the tenants he represented. But he was a very genuine man who always put the interests of LVA members first and foremost.

“Ron was a colossus within the trade and a champion of the licensee underdog but he was also held in the highest respect by the brewers and pub owners,” Payne said

His funeral is to take place on Tuesday 10 July at St Oswald’s Church, Finningley near Doncaster.