J D WETHERSPOON PLC
J D WETHERSPOON PLC is a public limited company registered in England and Wales under company number 01709784, according to Companies House. Incorporated on 25 March 1983 – initially as J.D. Wetherspoon Organisation Limited until it adopted its current name on 6 October 1992 – the company is currently recorded with an “Active” status, with its registered office at Wetherspoon House, Reeds Crescent, Watford, Hertfordshire, WD24 4QL.
Companies House classifies J D WETHERSPOON PLC’s principal activity under UK Standard Industrial Classification code 56302 (public houses and bars). The company is the parent of a UK-focused pub-operating group, running managed pubs under the Wetherspoon and Lloyds No.1 Bar brands, together with on-site hotel accommodation at a number of its sites, across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. At the end of its financial year ended 27 July 2025 the group operated 794 managed pubs, a figure that remained unchanged at the halfway point of its following financial year, alongside 16 franchised locations, as at 25 January 2026.
J D WETHERSPOON PLC’s ordinary shares are admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker JDW, and the company is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index. For the 52 weeks ended 27 July 2025, the company reported revenue of £2,127.5 million (up 4.5% year on year), operating profit of £146.4 million and profit before tax of £81.4 million, with average monthly employee numbers of 42,081. For the 26 weeks ended 25 January 2026, revenue rose a further 5.7% to £1,087.8 million, although operating profit fell to £52.9 million and profit before tax to £22.4 million, which the company attributed largely to increased employer’s National Insurance contributions and higher energy costs; like-for-like sales growth remained positive at 4.8% for the half year, and the board declared an unchanged interim dividend of 4.0p per share.
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Shareholders
5
Shareholders of J D WETHERSPOON PLC
J D WETHERSPOON PLC is a UK-listed public limited company, and Companies House confirms that, as at a filing dated 9 January 2023, it has no registrable person with significant control, consistent with the statutory exemption for companies whose voting shares are admitted to trading on a UK regulated market. Major shareholdings are instead disclosed under the UK’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules (DTR5), which require investors to notify the company when their voting rights cross set percentage thresholds, generally 3% and above for UK issuers. The largest disclosed holding is that of founder and Chairman Timothy Martin, whose direct holding stood at 27.103856% of voting rights (29,156,323 shares) following a notification dated 27 May 2026 relating to a transaction on 20 May 2026, triggered by the cancellation of shares bought back under the company’s buyback programme, up from a previously notified 26.001063%. Zavia’s shareholder register data, last verified 7 September 2026, additionally records a number of institutional and index-fund holdings, including Goldman Sachs International Small Cap Insights Fund (approximately 6.27%), Vanguard Tax Managed Fund – Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund (approximately 4.79%), DFA International Core Equity Portfolio (approximately 2.86%), iShares MSCI EAFE Small Cap ETF (approximately 2.47%) and Fidelity Low-Priced Stock K6 Fund (approximately 1.60%), among 11 disclosed shareholders in total.
Data availability
Classification: Major shareholders only. As a UK-listed plc exempt from the persons-with-significant-control regime, J D WETHERSPOON PLC discloses only shareholders whose voting rights cross DTR5 notification thresholds, supplemented by holdings separately recorded in Zavia’s shareholder register; the wider institutional and retail shareholder base is not individually disclosed, and no verified ultimate beneficial owner meeting a defined control threshold has been identified beyond Timothy Martin’s directly held stake.
Sources
- Companies House – Persons with Significant Control, company number 01709784 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- J D Wetherspoon plc – Holding(s) in Company, Timothy Martin regulatory news announcement (27 May 2026)
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
| Shareholder | Type | Holding | Source Document |
|---|---|---|---|
| Goldman Sachs International Small Cap Insights Fund | 6.3% | Companies House | |
| Vanguard Tax Managed Fund-Vanguard Developed Markets Index Fund | 4.8% | Companies House | |
| DFA International Core Equity Portfolio | 2.9% | Companies House | |
| iShares MSCI EAFE Small Cap ETF | 2.5% | Companies House | |
| Fidelity Puritan Trust-Fidelity Low-Priced Stock K6 Fund | 1.6% | Companies House |
Officers
39
Directors and officers of J D WETHERSPOON PLC
Companies House records nine active director appointments and one active company secretary for J D WETHERSPOON PLC, within a longer history of 40 officer appointments, including 30 resignations, dating back to the early 1990s. The board includes founder and Chairman Timothy Randall Martin (appointed before 31 December 1991), Chief Executive John David Hutson (appointed 4 September 1996), and directors Debra Van Gene (appointed 1 March 2006), Benjamin Newton Whitley (appointed 12 November 2015), Ben Thorne (appointed 17 December 2020), Hudson Simmons and Deborah Jayne Whittingham (both appointed 20 December 2021), James Ullman (appointed 4 May 2022) and John Anthony Herring (appointed 12 January 2026). Nigel Connor has served as Company Secretary since 18 December 2014. Nationality is officially disclosed for each current director as British; country of residence is recorded as England for most current officers, with John David Hutson recorded more broadly as resident in the United Kingdom. This overview reflects Companies House officer data retrieved 10 September 2026.
Recent officer changes
- John Anthony Herring was appointed as a non-executive director and Audit Committee chair effective 12 January 2026, per Companies House filing and trade-press reporting of the board announcement.
Data availability
Classification: Current only. Companies House publishes current director and secretary appointment dates and officially disclosed nationality for J D WETHERSPOON PLC, but the full historical succession of 30 resigned officers since incorporation in 1983 was not individually reviewed in this overview. Country of residence is recorded only at country level rather than a specific address, and occupation, as distinct from legal role, is not separately reported for these appointments. The correspondence address on file for current officers is the company’s registered office at Wetherspoon House, Reeds Crescent, Watford, a service address only and not a residential address.
Sources
- Companies House – Officers list, company number 01709784 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Morning Advertiser – “Wetherspoon appoints John Herring as non-executive director” (12 January 2026)
Registry feed — rows exactly as filed with Companies House, including entries the profile above does not cover.
Group Structure
Group structure of J D WETHERSPOON PLC
J D WETHERSPOON PLC is the ultimate parent company of the Wetherspoon pub-operating group; Companies House records no parent or controlling entity above it, consistent with its status as a UK-listed public company exempt from the persons-with-significant-control regime. Eight direct subsidiaries were independently confirmed at Companies House, all UK-registered property and operating companies in which J D WETHERSPOON PLC holds 75% or more of voting rights: Moorsom & Co Limited (00643715), Sylvan Moon Limited (03227166), Moon and Stars Limited (03200298), Moon and Spoon Limited (03232537), Moon on the Hill Limited (03200302), Checkline House (Head Lease) Limited (09898157), J D Wetherspoon Property Holdings Ltd (07601724) and J D Wetherspoon (Scot) Limited (SC397519), the last being the group’s Scottish pub-operating subsidiary. Zavia’s corporate-linkage data, last synchronised 8 September 2026, additionally lists two Irish-registered entities under related names – J D Wetherspoon Plc (Ireland, CRO 907363) and JD Wetherspoon Europe Limited (CRO 801680) – which could not be independently verified against the Irish Companies Registration Office within this review and are therefore not presented as confirmed relationships.
Verified corporate relationships
| Entity | Country | Registration number | Relationship | Ownership | Status | Information date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Moorsom & Co Limited | United Kingdom | 00643715 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 6 April 2016) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
| Sylvan Moon Limited | United Kingdom | 03227166 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 6 April 2016) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
| Moon and Stars Limited | United Kingdom | 03200298 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 6 April 2016) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
| Moon and Spoon Limited | United Kingdom | 03232537 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 6 April 2016) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
| Moon on the Hill Limited | United Kingdom | 03200302 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 6 April 2016) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
| Checkline House (Head Lease) Limited | United Kingdom | 09898157 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 25 April 2017) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
| J D Wetherspoon Property Holdings Ltd | United Kingdom | 07601724 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 6 April 2016) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
| J D Wetherspoon (Scot) Limited | United Kingdom | SC397519 | Direct subsidiary | 75% or more of voting rights (notified 6 April 2016) | Active | 10 September 2026 |
Data availability
Classification: Partial. Companies House confirms J D WETHERSPOON PLC has no parent company or registrable PSC given its exempt listed status, and eight UK operating and property subsidiaries were independently confirmed via Companies House PSC filings. Zavia’s registry-derived linkage data lists two further Irish-registered entities under related names that could not be independently verified in this review, and ownership is disclosed only as a control-threshold band (“75% or more of voting rights”) rather than an exact percentage for the confirmed UK subsidiaries.
Sources
- Companies House – Persons with Significant Control, company numbers 00643715, 03227166, 03200298, 03232537, 03200302, 09898157, 07601724 and SC397519 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
- Companies House – Persons with Significant Control, company number 01709784 (retrieved 10 September 2026)
J D WETHERSPOON PLC
United Kingdom
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Frequently Asked Questions
What does J D WETHERSPOON PLC do?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC (company number 01709784) is a public limited company registered in England and Wales, incorporated on 25 March 1983 as J.D. Wetherspoon Organisation Limited before adopting its current name in 1992, registered office at Wetherspoon House, Reeds Crescent, Watford WD24 4QL, classified by Companies House under SIC code 56302 (public houses and bars); it is the parent company of the UK and Ireland-focused Wetherspoon pub and hotel group.
Who owns J D WETHERSPOON PLC?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC is exempt from the UK persons-with-significant-control register as a listed plc; founder and Chairman Timothy Martin held a direct stake of 27.103856% of voting rights (29,156,323 shares) per a regulatory notification dated 27 May 2026, the largest disclosed shareholding, alongside a number of institutional and index-fund holders each below 7%.
Who is J D WETHERSPOON PLC's UBO (Ultimate Beneficial Owner)?
Every shareholder recorded for J D WETHERSPOON PLC is itself a company rather than a natural person, so no Ultimate Beneficial Owner (UBO) is identified at this level; establishing one would require tracing the ownership of each shareholding company in turn.
What is J D WETHERSPOON PLC's company registration number?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC's registration number is 01709784, filed with Companies House in United Kingdom. Its current status on the register is active.
Is J D WETHERSPOON PLC still an active company?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC's status on Companies House is listed as active.
When was J D WETHERSPOON PLC incorporated?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC was incorporated on 25 March 1983, according to Companies House.
What is J D WETHERSPOON PLC's registered address?
The registered address on file for J D WETHERSPOON PLC is Watford, United Kingdom.
What legal structure is J D WETHERSPOON PLC registered as?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC is registered as a Public Limited Company in United Kingdom.
What is J D WETHERSPOON PLC's revenue?
For the 52 weeks ended 27 July 2025, J D WETHERSPOON PLC reported revenue of £2,127.5 million (up 4.5%), operating profit of £146.4 million and profit before tax of £81.4 million, with average monthly employee numbers of 42,081 across 794 managed pubs; for the 26 weeks ended 25 January 2026, revenue rose a further 5.7% to £1,087.8 million but profit before tax fell to £22.4 million amid higher National Insurance and energy costs.
Is J D WETHERSPOON PLC listed on a stock exchange?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC's ordinary shares are admitted to trading on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange under the ticker JDW, and the company is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.
Who are the officers/directors of J D WETHERSPOON PLC?
Companies House records nine active directors and one company secretary for J D WETHERSPOON PLC as at 10 September 2026, led by Chairman Timothy Martin and Chief Executive John Hutson, with John Anthony Herring appointed as the most recent non-executive director on 12 January 2026.
Does J D WETHERSPOON PLC have a parent company or subsidiaries?
J D WETHERSPOON PLC is the ultimate parent of the Wetherspoon group, exempt from the persons-with-significant-control register as a listed plc, with eight UK subsidiaries confirmed at Companies House as 75%-or-more owned, including J D Wetherspoon (Scot) Limited and J D Wetherspoon Property Holdings Ltd.
Can Zavia monitor changes to J D WETHERSPOON PLC's ownership over time?
This profile reflects a point-in-time snapshot from Companies House. Zavia's monitoring API can track changes to J D WETHERSPOON PLC's registered shareholders, officers, and group structure going forward, flagging updates as they're filed rather than requiring a manual recheck.
Can I access J D WETHERSPOON PLC's data through an API?
Yes. Zavia's API connects directly to official government ownership registries across 195 countries and territories, including United Kingdom, so records like J D WETHERSPOON PLC's registration, shareholder, UBO, and group-structure data can be queried programmatically instead of viewed one page at a time.
Where does this company information come from, and how current is it?
This record is sourced directly from Companies House and was last synced on 8 September 2026.