Hundreds of Punch Taverns licensees have written to the Government in support of the pub company as part of the consultation into the statutory code, Punch’s external affairs and central operations director Andy Slee told the Tenanted Pub Company Summit.
Slee, who took the lead on Punch’s submission to the consultation, criticised the basis of Government actions, saying that the company is being “held in the dark” over the proposals “for four calls to a BII hotline that we helped set up and encouraged people to go to”.
He added: “I’ve been very humbled that on the counter side, hundreds of our partners have written into the Government in our support, giving all aspects of what they’ve experienced from Punch over the last few years or so.
“Six years or so ago, the team at Punch were nervous about attending what was then the Publican Awards in case they got booed. We’ve moved from a position like that to one where hundreds of partners have written in to a Government consultation in our support.”
Slee said recent innovations in Punch’s Buying Club have included the trial of a “Whisky Club”, whereby licensees share ideas on whisky. Sales of whisky rose by double digits during the trial, he said. “We will be expanding that out this year.”
He also said Punch has an ambition in the next 12 months to help its licensees reduce their goods and services bill by 20%, or about £5,000 for the average pub.
