Customers can now buy staple groceries from their local Punch pub thanks to a new Pub Shop initiative launched to support pubs, people and communities across the UK during the coronavirus ‘lockdown’ period.
Pubs up and down the country will offer a range of delicious food boxes to local customers, providing a safe, hygienic and accessible way for people to buy essential groceries, and helping pubs to continue to serve their local communities.
Pubs have been given all the guides and assets to set up their own pub shop and they will advertise it locally through their own websites and social media pages.
Punch, which has nearly 1,300 UK pubs, is the first operator to team up with food supplier, Brakes to launch its own Pub Shop offer.
Customers choose from a range of four boxes, including a ‘veg box’, ‘salad box’ and ‘fruit box’, all filled with fresh produce, as well as an ‘essentials box’ with items such as pasta, baked beans, sugar and bread.
All boxes are packed, handled, stored and provided to customers in the safest way possible, following government regulations. Pre-orders are made over the phone, with collection slots allocated and boxes collected in sanitised conditions or outdoors where weather allows, always following guidelines on social distancing.
Food boxes will be advertised on social media by participating pubs and orders can be made over the phone or by email to the pub.
Punch have also joined other pub companies in providing their pubs access to the Starstock initiative. A new website created by Starstock where customers can build their own basket of food, drink and consumables and pay online using a card. Any profit made by Starstock has been committed to being donated to NHS charities.
Punch pubs have also launched a takeaway menu - so that customers can continue to enjoy their favourite pub classics such as fish and chips, sausage and mash and even a full Sunday Roast, in the comfort and safety of their own home.
Punch’s Head of Food, Tracey Bell said, “In these fast-moving times, it’s essential that we too move fast to support our Publicans as best as we can to adapt their businesses so that the Great British pub remains at the heart of local communities up and down the country.
“As well as helping pubs, Pub Shop will benefit customers, offering one of the safest ways possible in the current climate to buy every day food items from local small businesses.”
Punch pubs are operated by independent publicans, who create unique community hubs. The company, with its head office in Burton upon Trent employs 250 people to support its pub estate.