Pub company of the year, branded - winner
Orchid
Concepts: Contemporary dining gastropubs, contemporary carveries; freehouse midmarket Two for One including Fuzzy Ed's; Oriental restaurant group freehouse independent local.
Key innovations: In 2007, Orchid completed 208 investments ranging from £30k to £700k.
Orchid was born in June 2006 after GI Partners acquired 290 Spirit pubs from Punch Taverns for £571m, adding massive bulk to the 21 Oriental restaurants already acquired from Noble House.
Pub food concepts include carveries, delis, take aways, farmers markets in car parks, Fairtrade hot drinks and British 'farm assured' produce in carveries.
The biggest growth in pub food sales has been the new-style carveries. At the time of purchase the wet to dry split was 50:50, now it's 35:65.
Two of Orchid's contemporary pubs - the Hemlock Stone and the Fox and Hounds - source ingredients from within a 30 mile radius and British and Fairtrade wines are now available.
Biggest achievements: All carvery pubs have Red Tractor Accreditation and average rises in sales from old Country Carveries to their contemporary counterparts is 35.6%.
The company has also moved to Belu carbon neutral water.
The Brown Cow and Dragon in Leeds is the first Dragon site - outside of London and the fusion of an English pub and Thai restaurant has captured locals' imaginations - so much so that there are now plans to open more in the north of the UK.
2008 will see increased focus on extending local produce and food provenance, the creation of a new chef academy with Brakes in an attempt to promote chef autonomy and allow chefs to create their own menus. A new grill concept is also being trialed a the Ship Inn, Rainhill.
