Newly created membership category brings the Portman Group representation to 19 companies from across the industry
Image: Portman Group CEO Matt Lambert with Jon Dale, Strategic Corporate Affairs & ESG Lead, Punch Pubs & Co, and Nick Temperley, General Manager UK & Ireland, Beam Suntory
London, 8 August 2023: The Portman Group, the alcohol regulator and social responsibility body, is delighted to announce today that Punch Pubs & Co and Beam Suntory have joined the Portman Group as associate members.
This further increases the breadth of the Portman Group’s representation with the first dedicated UK pub company to join as well as a leading global premium spirits company.
The Portman Group Code applies to the whole sector and it is important to hear all voices. To further enhance our aim to convene the whole sector, to support our work to regulate and promote the sectors’ activity, and to shape future responsibility programmes, the Portman Group has launched this new tier of associate membership. It enables more companies who are keen to engage with and support our work to join the Portman Group whilst tailoring the commitment level that is best suited to them. This means access to the latest alcohol news, policy summaries, insight into research, rapid 24-hour product advice and free Code training.
In welcoming the new associate members, Matt Lambert, CEO of the Portman Group said: “I am delighted that Punch Pubs and Beam Suntory have joined the Portman Group as our first associate members. It is great to expand our representation across the industry and this demonstrates the hospitality sector’s commitment to responsible marketing practices. I am also pleased to launch this new tier of membership, enabling more companies to join and further strengthening our remit to regulate effectively at no cost to the taxpayer.”
Clive Chesser, CEO of Punch Pubs & Co said: “We are delighted to partner with the Portman Group as its first pub company. The move demonstrates our commitment to the highest standards of alcohol responsibility in the on-trade and at the same time further enhances our ESG commitment centred around good health and well-being. We look forward to supporting and working with the Portman Group and being part of the valuable work they do in promoting moderation in alcohol consumption.”
Nick Temperley, General Manager UK & Ireland, Beam Suntory said: “Beam Suntory is thrilled to join the Portman Group as one of its new associate members and we wholeheartedly support the work it does. We have long adhered to the Portman Group’s Codes of Practice and industry standards, which align with our own commitments to responsibility as part of our long-term and ambitious Proof Positive strategy. We are delighted to be playing a part in the Portman Group’s important work.”
Punch Pubs & Co is an independent pub company with around 1,300 pubs across the UK. Punch is committed to empowering and working together with the very best Publicans to build and grow best-in-class community pubs. It was recognised as the Best Leased and Tenanted Pub Company 2020 and 2022 by the Publican Awards. It offers award-winning training programmes delivered out of a brand-new Training Academy. It has invested in excess of £160m in our estate over the last five years and launched its Punch Promise last month.
As a world leader in premium spirits, Beam Suntory inspires the brilliance of life by delivering great consumer experiences through its world-class portfolio of brands. Known for its craftsmanship of numerous and popular premium spirits, including Jim Beam, Maker’s Mark and the House of Suntory portfolio, Beam Suntory is a global company with approximately 6,000 employees in more than 30 countries. Headquartered in New York City, Beam Suntory is a subsidiary of Suntory Holdings Limited of Japan.
ENDS
For more information contact:
Joseph Meaden
Mobile: 07709 525 971
Notes to editors
- A spokesperson is available for interviews upon request.
- The Portman Group was formed in 1989. It is the alcohol industry regulator and social responsibility body. It has over 160 Code signatories from producers, retailers and membership bodies.
- The Portman Group is funded by 19 member and associate member companies: Asahi UK Ltd; Aston Manor Cider; Bacardi; Beam Suntory; Brown-Forman; Budweiser Brewing Group UK&I; Campari; C&C; Diageo GB; Edrington UK; Heineken UK; Mark Anthony Brands International; Mast-Jäegermeister UK; Molson Coors Beverage Company; Pernod Ricard UK; Punch Pubs & Co; SHS Drinks; Thatchers’; and Treasury Wine Estates.
- The Code of Practice for the Naming, Packaging and Promotion of Alcoholic Drinks was first published in 1996. In 2021, we celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Code. The Code seeks to ensure that alcohol is promoted in a socially responsible way, only to those aged 18 and over, and in a way that does not appeal particularly to those who are vulnerable. The Code has helped create an industry that works effectively within the context of a self-regulatory model, while encouraging design, innovation and creativity. This has been done in an effective, responsive and inexpensive way.
- Effectively – over 170 products have been amended or removed from the market. Many hundreds more have been helped to adhere to the Code before appearing on shelves through the support of the Advisory Service;
- Responsively – there have been five updates to the Code over 25 years responding to changes in public attitudes and expanding its reach; all without recourse to Government or Parliamentary time;
- Inexpensively – the leading members of the industry are currently funding the model for all to be protected at no cost to the public purse.
For more information contact:
Joseph Meaden
Mobile: 07709 525 971
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