Punch Taverns' CSR statement

Punch Taverns is the holding company of a group of tavern subsidiary companies, which it has gradually acquired since it was founded in 1997. Punch Taverns now owns more than 9,200 outlets, making it the largest pub and bar operator in the UK.

Total employees (worldwide)

880

Company turnover

£770m

Total assets

£4,900m

CEO

Giles Thorley

Punch Taverns was established in 1997, when it obtained its lease from Inn Business Group plc. It acquired Inn Business Group plc in 1999, Pubmaster in November 2003, Innspired in 2004, and The Spirit Group in January 2006. It was floated on the Stock Exchange in 2002, and is a member of FTSE 250.

Responsible Business

The group allows its managers to run pubs without interference. Each pub has on average 1.5 social or community clubs, through which 115,000 people come together each week. It is a steering group member of Pub is the Hub, a scheme enabling local pubs to diversify and provide other rural services such as post offices, local shops, IT facilities or village halls.

It is Punch policy to make pubs accessible and comfortable for the disabled, and it sponsored British Food Fortnight during 2006. The company makes efforts to promote responsible drinking among customers, and trains staff to deal with situations that may arise. It actively prohibits the use of drugs, and has embraced recent anti-smoking legislation.

The company is currently running a telephone scheme to reduce drink driving. It provides a connection to the nearest taxi firm and 10p from every call goes to Macmillan Cancer Relief. Other corporate responsibility projects include raising £32 million annually to improve local communities, and encouraging car-sharing and working from home to economise on fuel.

Other examples of corporate responsibility include:

• Supporting Pubwatch, which aims to produce a safe, secure drinking environment
• Winning National Innkeeping Training Awards (NITAs) for ‘Best Area Manager/BDM Development’ and ‘Innovation in Training’
• Punch Tavern employees being named ‘Professional Trainer of the Year’ and ‘Licensee Trainer of the Year’
• Winning first place in the On Trade Retailers – Pub Company category at the annual Responsible Drinks Retailing awards.