UK listed pub and hotel operator running 794 managed pubs and employing about 42,000 people
jdwetherspoon.comLegal name
J D Wetherspoon plc
Founded
1979
Industry
Pubs and hotels (hospitality and restaurants)
Chief Executive
John HutsonChairman
Tim Martin, founder
Employees
42,081 monthly average in FY2025Revenue (FY25)
GBP 2,127.5m for the 52 weeks ended 27 July 2025, up 4.5%
Market Cap
GBP 746.66m (July 2026)
Listed on
London Stock Exchange, ticker JDW
Headquarters
Wetherspoon House, Reeds Crescent, Watford WD24 4QL, United Kingdom
J D Wetherspoon plc runs one of the UK's best known pub chains. Tim Martin opened the first pub in 1979 and still chairs the company, which trades on the London Stock Exchange under the ticker JDW. The head office sits at Wetherspoon House on Reeds Crescent in Watford, and John Hutson has been chief executive since 2004.
At the end of the 26 weeks to 25 January 2026 the group traded 794 managed pubs, down from a peak of 951 sites in 2015, plus 16 franchised pubs. It also operates Lloyds No.1 bars and a group of Wetherspoon hotels. The estate covers England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and the Isle of Man, and the first continental European site opened at Alicante Airport in Spain on 9 February 2026.
Revenue for the 52 weeks to 27 July 2025 was GBP 2,127.5m with pre-tax profit of GBP 81.4m. The company employed an average of 42,081 people that year: 36,837 hourly paid pub staff, 4,844 pub managers and 400 head office staff. Half year results published in March 2026 showed revenue up 5.7% to GBP 1,087.8m but operating profit down 18.4% to GBP 52.9m, which Tim Martin blamed on roughly GBP 60m of extra national insurance and labour costs plus GBP 7m of energy costs.
Chairman and founder
Chief Executive Officer
Finance Director
Personnel and Retail Audit Director
Interview experience
5 out of 10
Interview difficulty
Easy, 3 out of 10
Interview process length
About a day or two for most candidates
Practise the real questions candidates get asked, then get instant feedback on your answers.
Q: Do you have previous experience in a similar role?
A: Give a short, honest summary of any hospitality, retail or customer facing work, and tie each example to something the pub actually needs. If you've no experience, say so and point to transferable habits like punctuality, working under pressure and handling cash.
Q: What do you know about Wetherspoons?
A: Show you've done basic homework: the company opened its first pub in 1979 under Tim Martin, runs around 794 managed pubs plus Lloyds No.1 bars and hotels, and is listed on the London Stock Exchange. Mention the branch you applied to and something specific about it.
Q: Why do you want to work here?
A: Link a genuine motivation to something the job actually offers, like fast paced shift work, progression into shift leader roles, or the training and shares scheme. Avoid saying you just need any job.
Q: What hours and shifts are you available for?
A: Be precise and honest. Pubs need evenings, weekends and bank holidays, so state the blocks you can genuinely cover and flag any fixed commitments up front rather than after you're hired.
Practise the real questions candidates get asked, then get instant feedback on your answers.
Reported average
£41,426/yr
12 salaries reported Salaries submitted
Reported average
£31,948/yr
3 salaries reported Salaries submitted
Reported average
£28,869/yr
13 salaries reported Salaries submitted
Reported average
£26,152/yr
4 salaries reported Salaries submitted
Reported average
£13.69/hr
6 salaries reported Salaries submitted
Reported average
£30,879/yr
7 salaries reported Salaries submitted
Compare pub, kitchen and management pay across the UK before you accept an offer.
London • Part-time / Full-time
£12.81 to £13.81 per hour
London • Full-time / Part-time
£12.91 to £14.88 per hour
London • Part-time
£12.91 to £13.85 per hour
Manchester • Full-time
£15.78 per hour
Manchester • Full-time / Part-time
£12.81 to £14.35 per hour
Glasgow • Full-time
From £29,013 per year
Turn your hospitality experience into a CV that gets you through the first screen.
May 6, 2026
Wetherspoon warns profits will land below market expectations
Third quarter like for like sales rose 3.4% in the 13 weeks to 26 April 2026, but Tim Martin said substantial cost increases would push profits slightly below market expectations. The chain was trading 794 managed pubs with new sites planned at Manchester airport, Heathrow, Paddington, Charing Cross and Shaftesbury Avenue.
#ProfitWarning #Hospitality #Trading
View postMarch 20, 2026
Half year revenue up 5.7% but operating profit down 18.4%
For the 26 weeks to 25 January 2026 revenue reached GBP 1,087.8m and like for like sales grew 4.8%, while operating profit fell to GBP 52.9m and pre-tax profit dropped 31.9% to GBP 22.4m. The interim dividend was held at 4.0p.
#Results #LSE #JDW
View postFebruary 2, 2026
Tim Martin confirms succession planning as tax bill tops GBP 1m per pub
Martin, aged 70, said the company is working on succession planning and that none of his four children work for the business. Wetherspoon paid GBP 837.1m in taxes in 2024/25, more than GBP 1m for each of its 794 pubs.
#Leadership #Succession #Tax
View postJanuary 28, 2026
Twelve new pubs planned before July 2026, including the first in Europe
Wetherspoon set out 11 UK openings plus its first continental European pub, Castell de Santa Barbera at Alicante Airport, which opened on 9 February 2026. UK sites include Bath, Edinburgh, Birmingham University and four pubs at a Haven park in Hayle, Cornwall.
#Expansion #Openings #Hiring
View postOctober 3, 2025
FY2025 results: revenue GBP 2,127.5m and pre-tax profit up 10.1%
Revenue for the 52 weeks to 27 July 2025 rose 4.5% to GBP 2,127.5m and pre-tax profit reached GBP 81.4m, with like for like sales up 5.1%. The group employed an average of 42,081 people and ended the year with 794 managed pubs.
#Results #Headcount #Pubs
View postThe FY2025 results report a monthly average of 42,081 employees: 36,837 hourly paid pub staff, 4,844 pub managers and 400 head office staff.
