M&C hails star turn by Peach

Peach Pub Company, the multiple lessee led by

entrepreneurs Lee Cash

and Hamish Stoddart, has won the prestigious Rising Star Award in M&C Report's annual Retailers' Retailer of the Year Awards.

The company, which

was founded by Cash and Stoddart, has a turnover of £8m from six pub venues - an average of £25,000 per pub each week.

Its latest addition to the estate is the Old Mill, Berk-hamsted, Herts, a former Spirit managed house which is being converted to lease.

Elsewhere, Peach operates three Greene King leased venues - the Black Horse, Woburn, Beds; the Fishes, North Hinksey village, and the Fleece, Witney, both in Oxford, and two other Punch venues - Rose & Crown, Warwick and the Swan, Salford, Milton Keynes, Beds.

Peach has won a reputation for serving "great food

with ethical credentials, produced by real chefs, served with exceptional wines,

beers and spirits, all at pub prices".

Paramount Restaurants chief executive Nick Basing, operator of Caffè Uno and Chez Gerrard brands, was named Retailer of the Year 2007 at the awards.

Over the last 18 months, Basing has overseen the £33m acquisition of the Caffè

Uno chain, the successful roll-out of Brasserie Chez Gerrard, the company's new all-day dining concept, and the group's sale to PPM Capital for £107.5m.

Punch Taverns won the Deal of the Year award for its £2.7bn acquisition of Spirit Group.

Carluccio's, the all-day It-alian restaurant and food shop, was named Company of the Year, while Pizza Express was recognised as Revitalised Brand of the Year.

Gourmet Burger Kitchen, Clapham House's upmarket fast-casual chain, which has expanded from six to 20 sites in the last 12 months, picked up the award for Best Concept, with Ping Pong, the burgeoning dim sum chain, being named Best Emerging Concept.

Greene King, the brewer and pub operator, was

named Investor of the Year, after its acquisitions of Belhaven in October 2005 for £187m, and Hardys & Hanson in September 2006 for £271m.

London's Gaucho Grill in Swallow Street, Piccadilly, was named best venue.

Over 1,000 votes were cast towards the awards, which are the only ones voted for by senior figures from the pub and restaurant industry, enhancing their prestige.