Pub Industry Award
"The Richard Branson of the sector, a consummate entrepreneur. In terms of his innovation and vision, he's by far the strongest candidate." That was how one judge summed up this year's winner, Tim Martin. And another pointed out: "He has grown the company from scratch in just over 20 years. He has created a new kind of pub. It's a staggering record."
Martin is, of course, the driving force behind JD Wetherspoon, a chain that has single-handedly transformed the face of pub retailing in the UK and made its founder one of the most admired figures in the industry.
Wetherspoon's growth has been phenomenal: what began in 1979 as a single, quirky "real-ale, no-juke-box" pub in Muswell Hill, north London, has burgeoned into a 400-strong group with sales of £7.4m a week. It is currently opening an average of two new pubs every week, making it the fastest-growing chain in the UK. At the same time, its established pubs have recorded like-for-like sales growth of more than 15% year-on-year. In its last half-year results, Wetherspoon reported a 44% rise in sales to £174.7m and pre-tax profits up by 34% to £15.6m. And all this at a time when much of the rest of the UK pub industry has been struggling.
The group's success is founded on a number of factors, not least that it has consistently managed to make itself stand out from the competition. Martin has achieved this through championing such seemingly unlikely causes as the music- and TV-free pub, large no-smoking zones and facilities for the disabled.
On the drinks front, the company has concentrated on traditional cask-conditioned beers from Britain's regional brewers, a strategy since copied by the likes of Whitbread's Hogshead. Wetherspoon's size and independence also mean that it has been able to hold down the price of its beer and offer some real bargains to its customers. Indeed, Martin is reputed to have told the landlords of some tenanted pubs that he can sell beer cheaper than they can buy it.
A further important factor in the chain's success has been its ability to create new pubs from scratch. Out of necessity, many have been converted from former shops, banks, post offices and cinemas. Martin himself has often been instrumental in persuading local authorities to grant planning permission for such change of use. As one judge commented: "His excellence is in opening up new units."
Martin has also kept a close personal eye on the development of the chain, making regular visits to his pubs, listening to staff and keeping on top of even the finer day-to-day details, such as the seating arrangements in new outlets. He has managed to retain and nurture good staff by providing lifelong training and by bringing in a maximum 48-hour week. Their pay can also be pretty good, with a management couple earning £65,000 or more a year.
Despite a successful listing on the stock market in 1992, Martin has managed to hold on to his individual style, including his trademark haircut, open-necked shirts and a penchant for carrying his documents around in old Waitrose carrier bags. n
