Punch appoints ex-Peach MD Stoddart as strategic adviser

20-Nov-2023 - Last updated on 20-Nov-2023 at 09:25 GMT

Peach co-founder: Hamish Stoddart (centre) is invested in sustainability

Co-founder of Peach Pubs Hamish Stoddart has joined Punch Pubs & Co as a strategic adviser to its board.

Stoddart joins Dame Karen Jones and John Colley who were recruited earlier in the year to help shape the future direction of Punch.

Hamish Stoddart was the managing director of Peach Pubs, which operates more than 20 sustainable gastropubs pubs in the south of England and the Midlands.

The group’s offer is aimed at affluent guests seeking a consistent, premium food-led pub experience. Peach was acquired by Revolution Bars Group in October last year.

Stoddart has been an advocate of sustainability and spoke about Peach’s journey towards Net Zero Now at the MA Leaders Club in Leeds in October 2021.

Publican Awards winner

Punch operates about 1,300 pubs across the UK and won the Best Leased & Tenanted pub company 2020 and 2022 by The Publican Awards.

Dame Karen Jones is currently a non-executive director of both Whitbread and Mowgli, senior independent director at Deliveroo and chairs Hawksmoor Restaurant Group and Frontier Pubs. Jones is also a commissioner of The Crown Estate.

In addition, she is co-chair of the Hospitality Sector Council, alongside the Minister for Hospitality, Kevin Hollinrake.

Jones co-founded Food and Fuel, which was sold to The Restaurant Group in 2018 having previously co-founded Café Rouge and The Pelican Group. She served as executive chair of Prezzo between 2018 and 2022. She was CEO of Spirit Group from 1999 to 2006: Spirit Group was sold to Punch in January 2006.

Exciting time

John Colley is the current executive chairman and CEO of Majestic Wine, the UK's largest specialist wine retailer, owned, alongside Punch, by Fortress Investment Group.

Colley previously spent 17 years in senior roles with Kingfisher, including group chief trading officer and commercial director at Screwfix. He also spent five years in the Netherlands, as CEO of Praxis DIY and executive board member of Maxeda Group.

Punch CEO Clive Chesser said: “This is an exciting time for Punch and all three individuals bring wide ranging sector experience and a broad range of invaluable skills.

“Karen is an absolute industry heavyweight, John boasts valuable retail experience while Hamish is an innovative pioneer for culture and sustainability in hospitality.

“It’s great to be back with Punch having been part of the team that originally created it and, of course, Spirit was born out of Punch Retail. Clive leads a first-class team, and we have an exciting journey ahead.”