Food for 400 Punch pubs

Around 400 Punch licensees will be targeted for detailed help in launching a food offer in the coming year. The move is part of a far more pro-active approach from Punch in helping to develop food offers within its 8,000-plus tenanted estate - an estimated 30% of the tenanted estate currently has no food offer.

The amount Punch invests in food development has risen sharply since the appointment in September of Alan Todd as catering development manager. There is now a five-strong food support team, with four field-based catering executives as well as Todd.

Nick Hemming, Andy Briggs and Kate Salisbury previously worked in Spirit while Stephen Ham has joined from food service company 3663.

Todd said: "A high percentage of our retailers do no food and we're identifying the key opportunities. We're targeting 400 pubs next year with the category executives identifying 100 pub each.

"We'll be sitting down with these licensees and discussing their needs - our retailers' success is our success."

The team will also be working on improving Punch business relationship managers' (BRMs) understanding of food. "We'll be trying to educate BRMs so they are more confident about talking about food with retailers," said Todd.

Other areas of improved support for Punch licensees will include the introduction of a basic catering training programme, which is planned to start in June 2007. Punch's food team will also be working with suppliers of equipment to obtain company-wide discounts - and developing menu packages for licensees. Director of group catering at Punch and Spirit Kevin Harper said the new initiatives recognised the "need for investment in the food side of the business".