Punch Taverns is the toast of the pub trade after scooping a prestigious industry award.

Punch, which owns 7,400 pubs across the UK, was named Pub Company of the Year for the leased and tenanted sector (100+ pubs) at the Publican Awards, the industry’s equivalent of the ‘Oscars’.

The accolade was presented during a glittering ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel on London’s Park Lane, which was hosted by comedian Lenny Henry.

Chief executive Giles Thorley said: “We are absolutely delighted. Punch is a large business made up of 7,400 small businesses and it is the hard work and talent of each and every retailer that combines to make us a worthy award winner.

“Our staff also thoroughly deserve to be congratulated for the commitment they have shown following a period of rapid growth and development, which culminated in the acquisition of the Pubmaster estate last December.”

Judges praised Punch for the way it had worked to strengthen relationships with its pub retailers through the creation of a dedicated customer service team, plus the introduction of a Retailer Charter and national pub awards programme.

Mr Thorley added: “We pride ourselves on providing retailers with a level of support that helps them build a better business. This recognition at the Publican Awards confirms we are delivering on that promise.

“The challenge now is to keep the momentum going, continue building on our relationships with retailers and staff and strive to add value to everything we do.”

The Publican Awards are organised annually by trade magazine the Publican Newspaper.

Other categories include Regional Brewer of the Year, Entrepreneurial Business of the Year, Customer Service Pub of the Year and Licensee of the Year as voted for by members of the British Institute of Innkeeping.

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