Punch Taverns clarifies its use of the word 'partnership'

Roger Whiteside, managing director of Punch Taverns' leased and tenanted pub operation, has clarified what the pubco means when it refers to a partnership with its licensees.

Responding to comments from thepublican.com​ readers, Whiteside admitted his company's use of the phrase was not made in the legal sense.

"We're not referring to a legally binding partnership agreement, but we are talking about a different approach to our ways of working and our commitment to our partners, embodied in our new code of practice.

"For Punch, partnership is about building long-term, sustainable relationships with our partners, based on transparency and trust," he said.

"It's about a fundamental change to our ways of doing business so that we genuinely work together to build stronger businesses for the future."

A number of readers of thepublican.com​ have reacted angrily in recent weeks to Punch's reference to 'partners' and 'partnerships' when talking about its business relationships with its licensees, suggesting the use of such terms are misplaced.

One who labelled himself 'Stig' commented: "If I was truly in a partnership then not only would I be able to have my say on what I'm doing with my business I would also have a say on what they are doing with theirs."

Karl Harrison, a founding member of Fair Pint, added: "Your landlord isn't your partner and there isn't a partnership either implied or explicit - unless of course someone who signs one of these codes with Punch manages to establish that there is a partnership - which could be interesting."

However others have suggested that irate readers were themselves guilty of misinterpreting the phrase 'partnership'.

Either way, controversy surrounding the use of the word(s) is likely to continue, for better or worse.