Historic, family-owned regional brewery and pub company JW Lees, based in Middleton, Greater Manchester, has been operating since 1828. The 2026 staging of the awards has seen an honour go to Woolston pub Rope and Anchor. The JW Lees annual conference and awards first started in 2007 and have grown each year since. A new award for 2025 was the retail operator of the year award, which was won by Chris and Kath at Rope and Anchor. Woolston Pub Rope and Anchor has been honoured at the JW Lees Pub of the Year Awards 2026The award looks to recognise publicans that have done an amazing job in bringing their pub back to the community and making it a safe and welcoming environment for all.