Cheers — Dan toasts his success

JW Lees area manager Chris Reece, left, with Dan Tomlinson and Pam MacFarlane, assistant manager and manager (Pam) of The Millgate pub, Failsworth.

AN assistant manager of a Failsworth pub has been named a brewery’s Rising Star of the Year.

Dan Tomlinson, from The Millgate, received the title at J W Lees’ annual conference and awards day.

The event, at Manchester’s Bridgewater Hall, was attended by hundreds of staff from the family-owned brewery, pub and hotel firm, which is based in Middleton Junction.

Award-winner Dan (28), a former South Chadderton School pupil who has worked at The Millgate, in Ashton Road West, for two years, said: “I’m really pleased with this award. It’s nice to get recognition and I’d like to manage my own pub one day.

“I take the job seriously and work hard, but we have a few laughs too.”

“I worked as a chef until I was 27 and have been assistant manager at The Millgate for a year. Food has become a very important part of the pub industry.”

Dan ran The Millgate while manager Pam MacFarlane was on maternity leave — a busy period that included Hallowe’en, bonfire night, Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter.

Meanwhile, Pam (30) was shortlisted in two other JW Lees award categories for Manager of the Year and Most Improved Pub.

She grew up in Hollins and is a former Kaskenmoor School and Oldham College student.

She began her career at a Failsworth restaurant when she was 16 and later worked for J W Lees at the Sheldon Arms in Ashton, the Boat and Horses in Chadderton and the Lancashire Fold in Middleton.

Pam said: “I am really proud of Dan getting his award and for The Millgate being shortlisted in two categories. It’s a busy community pub with 30 staff. We’ve increased food sales massively with a carvery and function room.”

J W Lees managing director William Lees-Jones said the firm had achieved a record turnover of £64 million in 2014-15, compared to £62.8 million for the previous year.

The company’s pub group includes 111 tenancies and 38 managed pubs, inns and hotels and Willoughby’s Wine Merchants, employing a total 1,171 people.

Of these, more than 400 qualifying staff will benefit from the firm’s profit-share scheme, receiving an average £1,000 each.

Mr Lees-Jones added: “It’s fantastic to be able to share these profits. We could buy another pub with the money but we think a profit-share system for employees is a better investment.”

He said J W Lees remains the leading family brewer in the North-West, despite a challenging market.

It plans to grow the business towards £100 million sales by 2020 mainly by buying and developing new pubs.

Mr Lees-Jones said highlights of the past year included opening a bar on a River Dee barge in Chester and The Lion and Antelope at Manchester Airport, and running a music competition linked to J W Lees’ Manchester Pale Ale (MPA), which was won by a band called King Kartel.

J W Lees’ outlets include traditional local pubs, food-orientated family pubs, city centre bars and country hotels including the Alderley Edge Hotel and The Trearddur Bay Hotel on Anglesey, North Wales.

It brews a range of beers and lagers including seasonal ones typically on sale for two or three months.

The firm bought three pubs in the past 12 months, sold 12 others and invested £5million on refurbishments.

Mr Lees-Jones said the firm was determined to develop further and remain family-owned.