Punch Taverns is encouraging its retailers to make the pubco their first stop for food.

A comprehensive new catering and food directory has been made available to all 7,800 pubs in Punch’s leasehold estate.

It contains preferential deals on pub food essentials including groceries, professional catering equipment, refrigerators, dishwashers, coffee machines, tableware and linen.

There is also information on Punch’s seven Food Solutions, starter packages for publicans with little or no previous catering experience.

Catering development manager Steve Schaffer said: “We aim to provide retailers with access to the very best suppliers and deals so they can manage their businesses with optimum efficiency and improved levels of profitability.

“Our new directory showcases a broad range of products and services from reliable suppliers with proven track records, so retailers can order with complete confidence.”

Punch says it has been able to use its extensive buying power to negotiate highly competitive prices for items listed in the directory.

Steve said: “Some offers are totally exclusive to the Punch estate, while others feature discounts of up to 55 per cent.  We are presenting retailers with everything they need for food and catering in one easy to use reference guide.”

Punch retailer Jim MacDonald, who runs the Railway Hotel in Christchurch, Bournemouth, has already received his copy of the directory.  

He said: “I have made use of Punch’s supplier links before to buy a new pizza oven, which has been great for developing my food offer.  The new catering directory looks excellent and with the fantastic discounts available you really can’t go wrong.”

Companies represented in the directory include 3663, Autonumis, Brakes, Fresh Direct, Lavazza Coffee, Lincat, R H Hall, Steelite International and Woodward Foodservice.

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