Punch has appointed Andrew Jobes to the newly created role of senior retail development manager, with the task of implementing the company’s new concepts, M&C understands.
Jobes was previously senior operations manager at international franchise operator MH Alshaya, where Punch chief executive Duncan Garrood was president of food.
He joins the company in a week when it opened two of its Mighty Local wet-led community pub concepts, making a total of three openings this month – all in the north west. It also officially opened its licensed café concept, Brewed & Baked in Musselburgh, East Lothian.
During his time at MH Alshaya, Jobes was responsible for the operations team for high-end grocery chain Dean & Deluca.
David Wigham, Punch’s development director, told M&C: “We are still a small team and we need to build up our skillsets in certain areas. Andrew brings a lot of experience in branded offers, which will be invaluable for us going forward.
“He will be principally responsible for the implementation of the concepts we’re looking to test.
“We’re at a very early stage at the moment where we have a few formats that we are gradually rolling out.
“We’re really at the ideation stage. We’re looking predominantly at testing concepts in the community side of the estate, which is the biggest part. The sites that require a more specialist operation, we will look to partner with established operators where we can.
“With Brewed & Baked we are very happy to be open but it’s too early yet to gauge how it is doing.
“It’s been quite a learning curve just opening one coffee shops. We have trained baristas now,w hich is a new area for us.
“We had the added challenge that we aren’t just launching a coffee shop but a licensed one, which is something relatively new across the UK, let alone where we are trading.”
