First Spirit Group managed pub converted to Punch Taverns' lease

05 June 2006
First Spirit Group managed pub converted to Punch Taverns' lease

The Old Cock Inn in Harpenden, Hertfordshire, has become the first managed Spirit pub to be converted to a Punch Taverns' lease.

It means that after 10 years of working behind various bars for other people, Nicola Hackett has become her own boss for the first time as lessee at the 16th century boozer.

The Old Cock Inn is one of 740 pubs identified by Punch to convert from managed operation to lease.

Punch bought Spirit for £2.7b last year, although the deal was not completed until January 2006. Spirit had more than 1,800 pubs on purchase.

Currently, 380 Spirit pubs are on the market to be sold off individually or as a package. Punch intends to keep running Spirit as a managed division for now.

OFT won't refer Punch >>

By Chris Druce

Get your copy of Caterer and Hotelkeeper every week -

The Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email

Start the working day with The Caterer’s free breakfast briefing email

Sign Up and manage your preferences below

Check mark icon
Thank you

You have successfully signed up for the Caterer Breakfast Briefing Email and will hear from us soon!

Jacobs Media is honoured to be the recipient of the 2020 Queen's Award for Enterprise.

The highest official awards for UK businesses since being established by royal warrant in 1965. Read more.

close

Ad Blocker detected

We have noticed you are using an adblocker and – although we support freedom of choice – we would like to ask you to enable ads on our site. They are an important revenue source which supports free access of our website's content, especially during the COVID-19 crisis.

trade tracker pixel tracking