Punch's code of practice gets formal accreditation

The BII's Benchmarking and Accreditation Service (BIIBAS) has announced it has formally accredited the code of practice of Punch Partnerships, the leased division of Punch Taverns.

The BII said Punch was the first major pubco to have its code so accredited.

Punch Partnerships appeared before the BIIBAS benchmarking committee back in April, a meeting that was attended by representatives from the Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) committee.

Punch's code was then accredited in principle, with the pubco opening up its document to feedback from licensees and members of its Burton-headquartered staff.

Speaking of the formal accreditation, BII chief executive Neil Robertson said Punch's code of practice was "robust" and "outlined the fundamentals of Punch Tavern's relationships with its licensees".

"It's a meaty document and it incorporates more than the BBPA Framework Code of Practice, demonstrating a real commitment for positive change in the pub company's interactions with its licensees," he said.

Roger Whiteside, managing director of Punch Partnerships, said: "The key principle behind the preparation of our new code of practice was to develop a document that clearly set out the basis for transparent relationships with our partners. It's a comprehensive code that covers all areas of our relationship and has been designed in an easy to follow format.

"We wanted to share it with our partners and employees before it was accredited, to make sure that we captured any relevant feedback. We recognise that the code is the bedrock of our relationship with our partners and are fully committed to making it live within our business."

A copy of Punch's accredited code is available on www.biibas.com