Pathway back to reopening our pubs
LAST week, the Government announced the steps intended to lead us out of lockdown.
There was a noticeable change in tone: the usual upbeat optimism was tempered by a certain degree of caution. As rumoured, in stage one customers will have to be served outdoors which, as I wrote last week, will seriously limit the number of pubs able to open.
On the other hand, restrictions that many people could not understand, such as the curfew and the requirement to have a substantial meal, will not be reintroduced.
Here are the guidelines that will apply to hospitality in England (source: www. gov.uk ). Remember that these dates are not final and may be put back if necessary.
April 12: Hospitality venues will be allowed to serve people outdoors. There will be no curfew and customers will not have to order a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks, although customers must order, eat and drink while seated (‘table service’). Wider social contact rules will apply in all these settings to prevent indoor mixing between different households.
May 17: Indoor hospitality will reopen. Venues will not have to serve a substantial meal with alcoholic drinks; nor will there be a curfew. Customers will, however, have to order, eat and drink while seated. The Government will also update the advice on social distancing between friends and family, including hugging. Until that happens, people should continue to keep their distance from anyone not in their household or support bubble.
June 21: The Government hopes to be in a position to remove all legal limits on social contact.
CAMRA has responded by urging Chancellor Rishi Sunak to provide continuing financial support for pubs, social clubs and breweries to help them survive the ongoing months of restrictions.
CAMRA national chair Nik Antona commented: “As well as extending furlough and business rates holidays, our locals desperately need VAT to be reduced for both food and alcoholic drinks, with a cut in duty for beer served on tap to help our pubs compete with supermarkets.”
Without such help, many businesses will struggle to make ends meet, with 60% of pubs saying they won’t be able to reopen when only outdoor service is permitted. Even when they can serve indoors, our locals will still face reduced trade because of the ‘table service only’ rule.
To find out more about CAMRA, visit www.southport.camra.org.uk, covering Southport, Merseyside and Ormskirk, West Lancashire.