Memorandum submitted by Scottish &
Newcastle Pub Enterprises Ltd
1. This submission is provided by Willie
Crawshay, Managing Director of Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises
Ltd (S&NPE). S&NPE is a wholly owned subsidiary of Scottish
& Newcastle plc. S&NPE's core business is the management
of leasehold pubs on behalf of contract partners.
2. British Waterways is one of several contract
partners with whom S&NPE operate. British Waterways own a
high quality estate of c. 50 pubs. S&NPE and British Waterways
have operated in partnership for three years.
3. S&NPE has found the partnership to
be very satisfactory in allowing it to deliver against its strategic
need to provide sustainable profit growth for its parent business
and, ultimately, for shareholders. Profit growth alone is not
enough, however. It is increasingly important for S&NPE that
profit is delivered in a manner that is consistent with the values
of our organisation. This means the promotion of responsible drinking
and the minimisation of our environmental impact are both important
to us. British Waterways share these values and have enabled the
partnership to grow in a manner which allows all stakeholders
—employees, contractors, lessees, customers and shareholders—to
be proud of our achievements.
4. British Waterways have a strong commitment
to quality. All of the partnership's acquisitions, developments
and continuing operations are subjected to the closest scrutiny
to ensure that we continue to deliver both sustainable profit
growth and a positive experience for all those that come into
contact with pubs. This of course means customers but also includes
those who use the waterways for commerce or leisure.
5. Having invested considerable resource
in the creation of the partnership with British Waterways it is
critical to S&NPE that British Waterways continues its work
in the regeneration and maintenance of those waterways within
its remit. Without this continued commitment the opportunity to
develop pubs that cater for a family-orientated customer who enjoys
the responsible consumption of food and drink in combination with
the great British outdoors would be severely diminished.
6. Both British Waterways and S&NPE
have limited resources. Whilst maintaining existing quality standards
it is therefore important that the partnership concentrates its
efforts on, firstly, the enhancement of existing operations and,
secondly, on the gradual expansion of the partnership into appropriate
waterside sites.
Willie Crawshay, Managing
Director
Scottish & Newcastle Pub Enterprises Ltd
March 2008
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