Publican awards for Spirit Group teams

November 20, 2007: Burton pub company the Spirit Group has won Retail Concept of the Year at the annual Publican Pub Food Awards for its Chef and Brewer pubs, which offer customers high quality food with great service in a cosy, relaxed atmosphere.

Since being acquired by Punch Taverns almost three years ago, Chef and Brewer has, according to the judges, "successfully reinvented and refreshed its offer through an emphasis on provenance, quality ingredients and a focus on training".

Spirit’s managing director, Andrew Knight, said: “We are delighted and proud to have our hard work officially recognised. We were only able to win this award thanks to a large, dedicated and enthusiastic team.

"These include the front of house teams in our pubs, the talented chefs in our kitchens and those in head office responsible for food development, product sourcing and marketing.”

Each of the 130 Chef and Brewer pubs, such as the Dog and Partridge at Tutbury, offers traditional cuisine made using the finest British ingredients, many sourced from local suppliers.

The latest Chef and Brewer menu boasts dishes such as hand-carved British ham with free range eggs, free range pork chop with Tewkesbury mustard and Cheddar sauce, British beef and Bombardier ale pie, and Whitby scampi.

Andrew added: “We have focused on provenance and all our beef, ham and turkey, for example, is sourced from British farms. We are also committed to serving up fresh fish dishes which reflect regional differences and tastes, giving our chefs the chance to demonstrate their creative flair.”

The Publican Pub Food Awards also proved to be a good night for three of Punch Taverns’ leasehold pubs. The Grapes, in Limehouse, London, was voted pub of the year as well as seafood pub of the year, The Oak, in Kelsall, Cheshire, won dessert pub of the year, and Joe Cussens and Justin Sleath, who run the Marlborough Tavern, in Bath, were voted newcomers of the year.

Punch Taverns is the UK’s largest pub operator with 8,400 leased, tenanted and managed pubs, which operates as the Spirit Group.

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