Thu 14th Jul 2016 - Punch trials fresh food delivery with Just Eat Punch trials fresh food delivery with Just Eat: Punch is partnering with Just Eat to offer fresh food delivered to its customers. The collaboration between one of the UK’s biggest pub operators Punch and the world’s leading digital marketplace for takeaway food delivery will involve two separate programmes which recognise the growing importance of food to many pubs. The first is aimed at Punch pubs without catering facilities, giving them the opportunity to have food delivered in for their customers who can order a meal of their choice from local Just Eat delivery restaurants directly to their table in the pub. A selection of Punch pubs across Yorkshire and Nottinghamshire will take part in the trial to offer a variety of different cuisines in the social surroundings of great British pubs. Crockery, cutlery, condiments and napkins will be provided by the pub. The second initiative will see two Punch Pubs in Yorkshire which already serve food, begin offering a takeaway menu and home delivery service to their local customer base. The menu items chosen for delivery will be favourites from the traditional pub menu range, supported with high quality packaging. Catering development manager for Punch Taverns, Steve Kite, said: “This partnership with Just Eat is an exciting opportunity for Punch and our publicans. For those who do not currently have a food offering, it has the potential to drive new footfall as well as increase trade from existing customers in wet-led pubs as drinkers can now become diners.” Angela Shortland from the Midland Hotel in Stapleford, is a Publican trialling the initiative. She said: “This is a fantastic initiative which caters for us as we don’t have the cooking facilities you would expect from a bigger pub. However, we now can compete by also offering a seven-day-a-week food service which we hope to see boost our drinks sales.” Graham Corfield, managing director, Just Eat UK said: “At Just Eat we’re always looking at ways to enhance the customer experience, offering people more choice and variety – whether that’s providing a range of different cuisines to choose from or providing flexibility in how people order and pay for their food. This initiative opens up more opportunities for both Punch and Just Eat customers to order food in a way and place that suits them.” Steve Kite added: “Statistics from Euromonitor International show that takeaway is a booming sector; with expenditure on pizza, curry and Chinese food expected to grow by 28% during this decade to £7.6bn a year. The addition of a takeaway offer to our sites creates an opportunity to increase food sales with the support of Just Eat and we are very keen to see how the trial sites perform.”