JW Lees takes over ex-Marston's site

The Cheadle pub will benefit from a £300,000 refurbishment before reopening to the public on Friday 14 July.

Managing director of JW Lees​ William Lees-Jones said: “We are delighted to have purchased the Pointing Dog off Marston’s plc and to welcome new colleagues to the JW Lees Team. 

Record year

“We were disappointed not to have bought it in 2017 when it was bought by Marston’s Revere Pub Company since we have always liked the site and are keen to grow our footprint in the North West as we continue to build our 195-year old six generation family business.”

The Pointing Dog will operate as part of the JW Lees Inns & Hotels Division and will be run under direct management by JW Lees, which operates 46 managed pubs, inns and hotels as well as letting another 95 pubs under JW Lees Pub Partners.

Lees-Jones added the pub was the firm’s first purchase since before lockdown, following a “record year” for JW Lees with turnover up 16%, to £87.5m, in the year to 31 March 2023, according to the managing director.

Great addition 

“Ironically, the last pub that we bought in 2019, the Red Lion in Withington, was also from Marston’s plc and in South Manchester, and has been a great addition to our managed estate with its now-famous Wednesday night quiz hosted by BBC Radio Manchester’s Joe McGrath”, he continued.

This comes as the family brewer and operator, which was founded in 1828, earlier this year announced the official reopening of its Rain Bar site​ on Great Bridgewater Street in Manchester, which first opened in 1999, following a £700,000 redevelopment of the freehold site.

Lees-Jones concluded: “It’s good to be back in the habit of buying new pubs again and we look forward to buying some more pubs in the not-too-distant future.”