Punch

Punch expands its growing estate

10-Apr-2024 By Nikkie Thatcher

Punch Pubs & Co has acquired a trio of Leicestershire pubs from Steamin' Billy into its leased and tenanted division.

Punch appoints ex-Peach MD Stoddart as strategic adviser

20-Nov-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Co-founder of Peach Pubs Hamish Stoddart has joined Punch Pubs & Co as a strategic adviser to its board.

Best pubs in Punch estate celebrated

09-Oct-2023 By Ed Bedington

The best Punch pub operators have been unveiled following a rigorous process to pick out the best from the company’s 1,300 businesses.

Licensee of iconic LGBTQ+ pub celebrates 20 years

03-Oct-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

The operator of an LGBTQ+ real ale pub in Edinburgh has celebrated two decades at the venue.

GBPA 2023

Meet the winner of the Punch Pub of the Year 2023

28-Sep-2023 By The Morning Advertiser

With its thatched roof and quirky interior, the Grade 2 listed Plough looks the quintessential country pub, and thanks to the care and attention of tenants Emma and Paul Gibbon it’s grown into much more, a family-friendly venue that plays an active role...

GREEN INITIATIVE

More experts revealed for sustainability special webinar

18-Jul-2023 By Nikkie Thatcher

Voices from across the sector will be sharing expertise around sustainability later this month (July).

Punch revenue up but profits drop

15-May-2023 By Gary Lloyd

Punch Pubs Group has announced a boost in total revenue to £158.1m for the 28 weeks to 26 February 2023, compared to £142.6m in the same period last year.

Punch snaps up 2 pubs

26-Apr-2023 By Amelie Maurice-Jones

Punch Pubs & Co has acquired two new community pubs to add to its 1,300-strong portfolio.

Punch announces exec team change

24-Apr-2023 By Ed Bedington

Punch Pubs & Co has announced a shake-up within its executive team, which sees a couple of changes in senior roles.

Punch invests £500k in Black Lion Hotel

24-Jan-2023 By Rebecca Weller

A Punch Pub site in North Yorkshire has re-opened under new management following a £500,000 investment.

GBPA 2022

Meet the winner: Punch Pub of the Year - the Red Lion, Shamley Green, Surrey

13-Oct-2022 By The Morning Advertiser

If you’re looking for the quintessential English village pub, in the quintessential English village, you should look no further than the Red Lion in Shamley Green.

Punch deal rumours remain unconfirmed

30-Nov-2021 By Ed Bedington

Speculation over a potential deal for the purchase of Punch Pubs & Co continues to swirl with both parties refusing to comment.

GBPA Punch Pub of the Year: The Wise Man Inn

29-Sep-2021 By Ed Bedington

Set in stunning surroundings, the Wise Man Inn was celebrating after taking home the title of Punch Pub of the Year in the Great British Pub Awards 2021.

Pubs ‘cannot continue’ amid self-isolation shortages

22-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Bosses have urged the Government to stop "dithering” and introduce a ‘test to release’ scheme to allow self-isolating workers to return to work quicker.

Young's post-lockdown trade nears 2019 levels

20-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Young’s has experienced trading “ahead of expectations” since pubs reopened this spring, its chairman has said.

The pubs code turns five

In numbers: the PCA's five-year caseload

20-Jul-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

To mark the fifth anniversary of the pubs code coming into force on 21 July, The Morning Advertiser (MA) has broken down some of the numbers behind the pubs code adjudicator’s (PCA) in tray.

Property round-up

Robinsons and Punch invest seven figures in pubs, Young’s offloads 56 sites, Alternative Pubs eyes expansion

14-Jul-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

The latest pub property news includes updates from Young’s, Punch and Robinsons Brewery.

Young’s sells 56 sites to Punch for £53m

12-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Young’s has announced it is to sell most of its tenanted pubs to Punch for £53m.

Pub bosses mull future of masks

08-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Pub bosses are considering whether or not to ask or require staff to wear face coverings beyond 19 July as 38% say they will ask staff to continue.

Sector underwhelmed by changes to self-isolation

06-Jul-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Pub bosses have called on the Government to urgently review self-isolation rules for those notified they have been in contact with someone that has tested positive for Covid.

Opinion

Looking ahead: the post-Covid pubs code

28-May-2021 By Fiona Dickie – pubs code adjudicator

The announcement that I would be the next pubs code adjudicator (PCA) was made on 24 February 2020. The first lockdown came just three weeks later.

Property round-up

Revere Pub Company and Greedy Gordons Group grow, Sky News reports possible Hawthorn takeover

26-May-2021 By The Morning Advertiser

The latest property news from the pub sector includes new site updates from groups including Greedy Gordons and Revere Pub Company, as well as further news from ‘big six’ operators including Punch and Admiral.

Punch and Big Smoke announce craft beer and food pub joint venture

24-May-2021 By Stuart Stone

Independent pub company Punch and Big Smoke Brew Co have joined forces to launch a collection of craft beer and food pubs across the southeast of England.

‘Business rates cap will harm pub revival’

05-May-2021 By Stuart Stone

The Government must re-consider its proposed £2m business rates relief cap or face the continued “systemic closure” of pubs, according to Colliers International’s head of business rates.

Hancock accused of 'stalling tactics' as reopening challenge fast-tracked

07-Apr-2021 By Emily Hawkins

The Government has been accused of “stalling” as a legal challenge over indoor hospitality’s reopening date will be fast-tracked through the High Court.

Trading restrictions must be lifted this summer, operators urge

06-Apr-2021 By Emily Hawkins

Pub bosses have urged the Government to remove all restrictions on the sector from Monday 21 June onwards.

Property round-up

Punch spends £1m on pub gardens, ‘illegally destroyed’ pub to reopen

24-Mar-2021 By Stuart Stone

The nationwide operator of more than 1,000 pubs, Punch, has invested £1m in outdoor spaces ahead of the proposed reopening of 662 of its sites on 12 April, while the 'illegally destroyed' Carlton Tavern is poised to reopen after being rebuild...

The MA's Review of the Week

Frustrations and optimism for reopening

27-Feb-2021 By Ed Bedington

The Morning Advertiser's editor Ed Bedington speaks with Punch Pubs ceo Clive Chesser about the week's biggest headlines.

Punch reports loss amid enforced pandemic closures

06-Jan-2021 By Stuart Stone

Punch, which operates more than 1,200 pubs, has reported a loss for the year ending 16 August.

'Avoid the bleakest of winters' 100 hospo bosses urge PM

30-Sep-2020 By Nicholas Robinson

Some 100 hospitality business leaders including pubco bosses have written to Prime Minister Boris Johnson urging him to support the sector financially.

Punch to offer 75% rent credit from summer

11-Jun-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

Punch Pubs & Co will offer help to tied pubs on substantive agreements from 4 July, with initial support of three quarters (75%) rent credit for July, reduced each month beyond autumn.

Punch acquires 7 pubs from Heartstone Inns

23-Jan-2020 By Nikkie Thatcher

National pubco Punch Pubs & Co has completed the acquisition of seven pubs from south-west-based Heartstone Inns this week for an undisclosed sum.

Punch protest pub saved from closure

17-Jan-2020 By Emily Hawkins

A pub that inspired a protest outside pub group Punch’s head offices has been saved from closure and will reopen soon.

Punch signals £80m investment in its ‘agile’ estate

27-Feb-2019 By Nicholas Robinson

Nimble pubco Punch has set aside £80m to pump into its estate over three years to improve various aspects of its venues, chief executive Clive Chesser has said.

Punch credit cycle changes 'unfair', says tenant

22-Aug-2018 By Emily Hawkins

Pubco Punch Taverns has been accused of unfairness by a tenant after it made changes to its credit cycle.

Punch returns to the acquisition trail

03-Aug-2018 By MCA

Punch has made its first individual pub acquisitions for 11 years, as it continues to grow its Mighty Local and Champs formats.

PCA: discussions ongoing with pubcos over waiving confidentiality

30-Apr-2018 By Michelle Perrett

The office of the pubs code adjudicator (PCA) has said discussions are ongoing with pub-owning businesses concerning its call to waive confidentiality in arbitration awards.

Pubco Punch unveils Urban Oasis bar concept in Bath

27-Apr-2018 By James Wallin, MCA

Punch, the Patron Capital-backed pubco, is to launch its Urban Oasis high street bar format in Bath with plans for further openings, MCA understands.

Second Punch boss steps down just weeks after Garrood

28-Sep-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Giles Kendall, Punch operations director, is to leave the business after 16 years' service.

Exclusive

Outgoing Punch chief executive on the future for Punch pubs

06-Sep-2017 By Claire Churchard

Following the news that Punch chief executive Duncan Garrood has decided to leave the business, after Patron completed its deal to buy the group's pubs, The Morning Advertiser gets the inside track on why he isn’t staying for the transition period...

Punch distribution deal 'could trigger MRO'

10-Jul-2017 By Michelle Perrett

Pubco campaigners have claimed that a new drinks distribution deal for Punch could trigger the market-rent-only (MRO) option for hundreds of its pubs.

Punch takeover

Sale of 1,900 Punch pubs to Heineken moves one step closer

15-Dec-2016 By Helen Gilbert

Heineken has moved one step closer to acquiring the lions share of Punch Taverns' pub estate, after three of the pubco’s top shareholders gave their support. 

Punch sees record numbers attend UK roadshows

16-Nov-2016 By Michelle Perrett

Punch has seen a record number of pubs – 1,765 – attend its eight roadshows this year. 

Results

Garrood defends negative impact on Punch’s letting activity

10-Nov-2016 By Nikkie Sutton

Punch CEO Duncan Garrood has defended the negative impact on the pubco’s letting activity following the release of its figures for the first half of the financial year.

Business

NewRiver Retail deal helps Punch drive profits across its estate

20-Apr-2016 By Emily Sutherland

Punch's £53.5m disposal of 158 pubs to NewRiver Retail has helped to drive up profits across its estate, chief executive Duncan Garrood has said.

Punch's Slee: "Both sides must put history and emotion behind them and work together"

18-Nov-2015 By Andy Slee

Punch representative Andy Slee gives his reflections on the debate over the pubs code legislation that took place at the Tenanted Pub Company Summit.

Punch: 'Mr Garrood needs to walk 100 miles in the shoes of one of his tied tenants'

05-Oct-2015 By Simon Clarke

Leading pubco reform campaigner Simon Clarke responds to recent comments made by Punch Taverns' chief executive Duncan Garrood in the PMA about the pubs code and market-rent only option.

Knockout blow for 158 Punch pub licensees

02-Sep-2015 By Ed Bedington

Interestingly enough, following on from my last piece on paranoia and the pub trade, Punch seemed determined to underline this by selling off a lot of pubs that it has been suggested would have been moving down the market rent-only option (MRO) route.

Punch to open pilot site for licensed cafe concept

14-Jul-2015 By MC Allegra FS

Punch Taverns has chosen a site in East Lothian to pilot its licensed café/bistro concept Brewed & Baked.

Punch

Punch launches workshops to help tenants prepare for summer

20-May-2015 By Emily Sutherland

Punch is offering its tenants a series of free workshops with the aim of increasing trading performance over the summer months.