This week Chris talks to James Gilbert & James Goldsworthry from Punch Pubs.

James Gilbert  Head of Insights, Projects & Strategy at Punch Pubs & Co & James Goldsworthy, Head of Digital & Creative at Punch Pubs & Co.

Punch is a multi-award-winning pub company in the UK with around 1,250 pubs in England, Scotland and Wales.

We have established a resilient and well-invested pub estate through selective acquisition and disposal, with our vision being to run the best community pubs, driven by passionate local partners and publicans via our specialist multi-model platform that delivers the optimum return.

Diversifying our business models ensures that every pub asset is utilised in the best possible way which ensures further opportunities for organic growth in our Leased & Tenanted estate whilst investing significantly to develop our Management Partnerships portfolio.

Our strong suburban presence, flexible food offers and extensive outdoor trading areas, has allowed us to manoeuvre the business into the right position.

During the chat we cover :

• The pair's background and how they ended up in Punch.
• How their careers have been led by technological advancements
• How building their own in house order & pay tech was a value add to the business 
• Managing the customer journey through their own roadmap & how they convinced the leadership team to manage in-house rather than buy an off-the-shelf solution.
• Acting on their key stakeholder's advice
• How technology is an enabler, it gives us permission to make forward movements.
• Managing data & how to use it 
• Privacy of data 
• How pubs are driving loyalty not through tech but through community and being a key part of it

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