‘Keep your masks on’ – pub group

A MAJOR UK pub group with a site in Bristol city centre will still encourage customers to wear masks, practise social distancing and use table service to avoid a “scrum at the bar” when restrictions ease on July 19.

Clive Watson, chief executive of the City Pub Group, which owns 45 pubs across the UK including King Street Brew House in Bristol, will urge customers to continue following some rules at his sites.

Speaking to the Today programme on BBC Radio 4, he said: “I think that staff should be encouraged or instructed to wear masks – I think that’s very important – and I also think from a customer’s point of view we will still try to offer as much service as possible at the table.

“What we don’t want is a freefor-all scrum at the bar, with lots of people queuing up. Nearly 50 per cent of our customers order their food and drink via the app – we want to continue that – with the rest ordering at table. We want to continue that as well.

“It’s not like flicking a switch back to February 2020. We’re not going to say you cannot order at the bar, but we’re going to make it as easy as possible to order from the table. We’re not going to be militant about it, but we’re not going to encourage people to order at the bar.”

The Government’s decision to ease restrictions has been welcomed by the British Beer and Pub Association, which said 2,000 more pubs would be able to reopen.