Punch denies seeking pub sales to Tesco
Punch has denied accusations that it is actively looking to sell its pubs for conversion into supermarkets.
It said just four of its 7,500 pubs are being eyed for conversion, "all of which have been on the open market for some considerable time".
It followed accusations by the anti-pubco Fair Pint campaign that Punch and the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) are "dishonest" for blaming supermarket pricing for the closure of community pubs while working with Tesco to convert their pubs into supermarkets.
The row has centred around Punch's bid to convert the Sara Siddons pub in Warwick into a Tesco Metro. The pubco decided against the move after a 2,000-strong petition from regulars was presented (Punch pub saved from Tesco — another fights on).
Punch is, however, in talks with Tesco about the sale of the Walnut Tree in Leamington Spa.
Fair Pint urged the BBPA and pubcos to "come clean and confirm that viable pubs are still being closed and prepared for sale to supermarkets and developers".
Campaigner member Steve Corbett said: "After spending so much time and effort to try and convince MPs that supermarkets are hurting pubs we find out that the pubcos are closing more pubs to sell to Tesco and other developers.
"It's vital that MPs press Government to stop this practise and provide protection for communities that care about pubs even when their owners don't."
A Punch spokeswoman said: "Punch has not been dishonest in its approach to disposals and we are not actively looking to convert pubs into supermarkets.
"This release [from Fair Pint] is another example of Fair Pint distracting attention from the real focus of the industry; that is lobbying the Government to ensure that it axes the tax on beer.
"We are a pub operator and remain committed to working in partnership with our licensees to build sustainable businesses. When we identify any pub for sale it is always our primary intention to sell it as a pub to a new licensee.
"However, as with any operator, we will always consider any reasonable approaches from interested parties, especially in cases where pubs have been on the open market for some time without any interest from potential licensees.
"The reality is that, out of a total estate of 7,500 pubs, we are only talking about four sites, all of which have been on the open market for some considerable time.
"We received an approach for the Sarah Siddons, which we decided not to progress.
"We have now found a new licensee to operate the pub, who will be looking for the continued support of the local community in building a sustainable business."
