Ex-Joseph Holts pub manager wins compensation

A former Joseph Holt's pub manager has been awarded £43,500 in compensation after being sacked over accusations of watering down beer.

Trade union Unite won substantial damages for Tulsa Lowther, who was manager at the Lamb Hotel in Eccles, and had worked for the Manchester brewer for 20 years.

The union highlighted the problem of clarity over who was ultimately responsible for beer in the cellar, pointing out that managers would have to be on duty for 84 hours per week if they were to prevent other members of staff from having access to the beer.

Lowther also complained that beer sampling tests had been done without her knowledge while she was away on holiday.

"It is such a relief to have cleared my name after months of hell," she said.

"I don't know what I would have done without the tireless support of Unite — I could never have afforded to take the case myself and although nothing can ever compensate me for the pain and distress I have suffered as a result of these false accusations.

"The very substantial compensation that I was awarded has certainly helped me to put my life back on track."

Joseph Holts said that while it was "disappointed" at the tribunals decision, its commitment to make sure its beers were in top condition was "unwavering".

It said that Lowther and Unite had accepted that beer had been tampered with.

Operations manager, Mark Norbury said: "We have procedures in place to ensure that our products are served in perfect condition and those procedures highlighted that adulteration had taken place at the Lamb Hotel.

"We have since revised our procedures and are now confident that should a similar situation arise in the future, they will prove to be sufficiently robust."

Joseph Holt is still considering an appeal.