Long serving Lisa holds court at The Court Leet

Long serving Lisa holds court at The Court Leet

Pub manager Lisa is pictured receiving her long-service award certificate, as well as Champagne and flowers, from general manager Will and area manager Mike.

Lisa has been pub manager at The Court Leet since 2016 and, apart from maternity leave to have her daughter in 2017, has worked for the company for 20 years.

Lisa said: “I can’t believe that it’s been 20 years. I have literally grown up within the business, while working for Wetherspoon.”

Lisa’s Wetherspoon career began in September 2003 in her hometown of Lincoln, when she joined the team at The Square Sail as a part-time bar associate.

She recalled: “I was also working at another local pub in Lincoln, so had two part-time jobs. “My manager at The Square Sail said, if I took on a permanent role with Wetherspoon, that I could progress.

“I had always planned to make the pub industry my career, so joined Wetherspoon and was promoted to team leader within six weeks.”

Lisa continued to progress, following a move to Manchester, with a brief stint at The Seven Stars and a spell at The Ford Madox Brown, both in Manchester, stepping up to shift manager.

Lisa took on her first pub as manager in 2012, at The Art Picture House, where she spent four years before arriving at The Court Leet.

Lisa said: “We are a real community pub, the busiest in town, with a great regular customer base, a gorgeous beer garden and a lot of fundraising to support Young Lives vs Cancer.

“Staff progression has also been good here, with some people going on to manage their own pubs and a couple taking on head-office roles.

“Wetherspoon has always been a fast-moving company, in a good way, always improving. It’s good to be at the top.

“I had always planned to make the pub industry my career, so joined Wetherspoon and was promoted to team leader within six weeks.”

Lisa Newton