Punch to close Pubmaster head offices

Punch Taverns is to close the Hartlepool head offices of Pubmaster, the 3,200-strong tenanted giant it bought in November last year.

The company has begun a 90-day consultation with 131 staff affected by the decision. Satellite offices at Bromsgrove, Ipswich, Sheffield and Warrington will also close.

Punch also announced that three members of the Pubmaster executive team - John Sands (pictured)​, Ron Turnball and Richard Grundy - will leave the business at the end of January.

Punch customer services director Francis Patton said: "It makes sense to have the enlarged group operating from Burton. There is no logic in having offices in the top right hand corner of the country as well." Mr Patton said that wherever possible employees would be retained in the business and given the opportunity to relocate to Burton. "We do want to genuinely retain the best people from each business and will offer strong re-location packages," he added.

Pubmaster executive Nigel Sammons will stay will the business throughout the course of the integration as Pubmaster interim chief operating officer.

Punch bought Pubmaster in a £1.2bn deal in November to form a 7,400-strong pub group - the biggest in the UK.

Related articles:​

Punch buys Pubmaster for £1.2bn (6 November 2003)