Laurel appoints marketing head to Hogshead managed pub chain

The Laurel Pub company has appointed an insider to the new position of director of marketing for the managed side of its business.

Darryl Pannell, marketing manager of the company’s community pub division, has been promoted to take over responsibility for marketing the string of managed pubs, which is centred on the Hogshead chain.

Pannell, a former Bass Retail marketing manager, will be responsible for 622 managed pubs, which also include the Casa, Shotz and RSVP brands.

Pannell worked for Whitbread Pub Partnerships as a marketing manager before Morgan Grenfell Private Equity (MGPE) bought the business in April last year for &£1.62bn. The acquisition was renamed the Laurel Pub Company by MGPE.

Pannell oversaw Whitbread’s successful Giant’s Feast campaign, which offered large portions of pub food, such as steaks and curries, for &£6.50.

Laurel has reportedly invested &£18m in its branded estate and community pubs, and another &£10m in its 1,800-strong leased pub division.

The pubs are located throughout England, with a handful in Scotland. The company has a turnover in excess of &£600m per year and employs 12,000 people.

Laurel and its rival Punch share a common shareholder – Deutsche Bank – which may be interested in combining the two businesses and floating them on the stock market.