After last night’s announcement from the PM many are unsure where they stand with takeaways and deliveries.
A lot of pubs and bars shifted to takeaway and delivery once the coronavirus epidemic took hold to try and keep income going, plus paying staff, however yesterday the latest measures put this option into question.
Here is the latest.
UPDATE: It has been confirmed that pubs (and by extension bars) can offer delivery and takeaway, providing the correct licenses are in place. Hot food will be allowed to be delivered, it will also be allowed to be sold as take away providing staff and customers are 2 meters away from each other, consumption of any food on site whilst people are waiting is forbidden. The sale of drinks will only be allowed if you have an off-license.
Takeaways and deliveries can continue. However, a list of approved venues for this was published and currently pubs and bars are NOT on this list, so by the letter of the law currently bars and pubs cannot do deliveries.
There is a general feeling in the, rather powerful, pub industry that this was simply a mistake in the haste of the list being written. Senior members of the pub industry are contacting the government for clarification on this and we will keep you updated as soon as we hear.
It must be said that the sooner this epidemic is over the sooner the industry as a whole can get back to ‘normality’ and the one thing that the health experts agree on is that the less interaction people have the quicker the coronavirus can be contained and eventually halted.
We are obviously not here to tell anyone how to run their business and undoubtably there are venues, especially in rural areas, that are providing a vital service to their neighbourhood, but it would be remise of us to not ask you to considering the greater impact to the health of not only your staff but the nation.