“Pubs are a great leveller,” Louis begins “a place where people leave their status at the door and millionaires mingle with people who’ve just come off a building site.”
As the first of the seventh generation to come into JW Lees, Manchester’s oldest brewery, Louis sees real similarities between pubs and families. They are places that support diverse communities, where opinions are embraced and differences of opinion are settled over a meal and a drink (usually amicably).
“Like families, pubs are all things to all people” continues Louis, “our job is to ensure that everyone is looked after, and respected, regardless of who they are or where they come from.
“There’s a story I share with people working across the business about a family on holiday in Ireland. They go for a walk and find a pub but it’s closed. The landlord sees them, leans out of the window and shouts ‘I’m sorry we’re closed. But can I get you a drink while you’re waiting?’”
Having spent time outside of the family business, working in hospitality overseas, Louis sees the opportunity to build on how JW Lees is not only a cultural and community asset across its pub estate but also a responsible business with a commitment to supporting local businesses. JW Lees counts more that 400 suppliers across the Northwest region, many of which have been working with JW Lees for more than 30 years.
Louis is also keen grow JW Lees role as a great employer for local people. His starting point is to change perceptions about a career in hospitality. During his time overseas, it was clear to Louis that people viewed working in hospitality differently, building long-term careers that are well rewarded. But, in the UK, working in a pub, is often regarded as a part-time or temporary job and, generally low-skilled.
Louis believes there are two things that will move the dial on this. Firstly, a commitment to treating people well. “I’ve worked in places where colleagues have been treated horribly and you’re never going to convince someone a job can be a long-term career if you don’t respect them.”
Secondly, Louis believes that people should be encouraged to be themselves at work. “We provide training for everyone but it’s not just about us telling people how to behave and think. I want people to use the training to become a better version of themselves.”
Louis is also keen maximise the impact JW Lees can have improving lives through community engagement and charitable giving. JW Lees is a long term partner and Gold Patron of Madhlo, the Oldham Youth Zone and part of the Onside network of Youth Zones across the UK, as well as having a colleague nominated charity of the year every year to drive charitable giving and volunteering through JW Lees. But Louis is keen they also capitalise on how pubs can be a focus for charitable activities. “Across our pub estate, Managers are really competitive about which one can raise the most” say Louis. “Every year we award our charity pub of the year. There are two or three that are always in the running raising tens of thousands of pounds just from each individual pub. I’m not one for a bet but I would put a good tenner on the winner each year.”
The most surprising thing to Louis, and something he believes more people should know about, is that the pubs that raise the most tend to be in areas of higher social deprivation. “The generosity of the people in these pubs, which are the lifeblood of the local community, is amazing, really humbling.”