Our restaurants need a helping hand

With current regulations surrounding the Covid19 problem, businesses in the hospitality sector have had to seriously adapt by making changes to accommodate the distancing rules set out by the government.

Some restaurants have more space than others to do this with the minimum of inconvenience to them, but others are finding it hard to do this effectively without losing business due to a decreased number of covers.

Some businesses are coping better than others, but the nightmare of a pandemic has certainly pushed normality to the limit for many.

It’s not just the small restaurants either, some of the bigger chains are seeing a notable decline of covers and, in both cases, we should be trying to keep all businesses in this sector going to preserve a degree of normality in the safest way possible.

One wonders how some of the restaurants of the past in the heart of Ashford would cope during today’s difficulties.

Many of the town’s past eateries and coffee establishments were compact and bijou, with the exception of the formidable Gizzi Restaurant at 29 high street (now the home of the everpopular Cafe Express).

Regardless of the space, you still have a multitude of hurdles to negotiate such as public confidence and both customers and staff adhering to the rules such as wearing a mask or visor, providing you haven’t got a medical exemption of course.

There does seem, however, a minority who refuse point-blank to wear one or understand things like wearing one when you leave the table in a restaurant if you are paying of using the facilities, for example.

This week, Remember When ventures back to a calmer time and looks at some of the town’s past establishments that catered for those wanting a home cooked meal or a hot beverage.

Do you have any photographs or slides of old Ashford you would be willing to loan me to enable them to be scanned for possible feature in the Kentish Express?

Please don’t delay, feel free to get in touch.

Write to me: Steve Salter, Kentish Express Remember When, Unit 4, Park Mall Shopping Centre, Ashford, Kent, TN24 8RY.

Email me: rememberwhen_ kmash@hotmail.co.uk

Or you can also leave a telephone message for me with brief details by calling the Kentish Express office in Park Mall on 01233 623232. 1960 - The interior of Gizzi’s at 29 high street when new. The spacious and formidable restaurant, the pride and joy of the late Vilma and Antonio Gizzi, was a huge favourite of locals. The seating area remains much the same today as popular restaurant Cafe Express

Ten years ago this week, construction work was underway on the new Dobbies Garden Centre at Eureka Park