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Your pub and hospitality experience as the Covid restrictions ease

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satisnek

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Further to my earlier post, the Perspex screens at the Brunswick in Derby had gone a week later (although a decent pint of Tiger is still elusive...).

It seems that it's the more 'stuck-up' food-orientated establishments which are persisting with showing customers to their tables and all the rest. I've already mentioned the Boardwalk at the marina, and the Dragon in Willington is the same. But otherwise I'm pleased to report that everywhere else I've been it's all back to the way it was with only a few artefacts remaining (unused check-in tables at the entrance, tape/labels on the floor, masked barmaids, etc.).
 
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philosopher

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It seems that it's the more 'stuck-up' food-orientated establishments which are persisting with showing customers to their tables and all the rest. I've already mentioned the Boardwalk at the marina, and the Dragon in Willington is the same. But otherwise I'm pleased to report that everywhere else I've been it's all back to the way it was with only a few artefacts remaining (unused check-in tables at the entrance, tape/labels on the floor, masked barmaids, etc.).
This is why I think in time, pubs that retain table service will be seen more as restaurants rather than pubs as it seems to be the gastro / foodie pubs that are generally keeping it. Indeed it could be argued food orientated pubs were morphing into restaurants even pre pandemic.
 

NorthOxonian

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This is why I think in time, pubs that retain table service will be seen more as restaurants rather than pubs as it seems to be the gastro / foodie pubs that are generally keeping it. Indeed it could be argued food orientated pubs were morphing into restaurants even pre pandemic.
I don't have a huge issue with this change as long as it's made clear at each venue in question. Indeed I'd be strongly supportive of it on a personal level.

I can't stand gastro "pubs". There's few worse feelings than going somewhere you expect to be nice after a long walk, and getting a frosty service when you ask for a pint because they're actually a restaurant pretending to be a pub. If they were required to make their status obvious (you can't usually tell from the internet), it'd save a lot of awkwardness on my part! Stating whether or not they were table service would certainly be one easy signifier.
 

Freightmaster

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I went to the local Toby Carvery earlier today for the first time since last September,
and they are completely back to normal (you now serve yourself, tables are really close
to each other, etc.)

The vast majority of people (including all the staff) were not wearing masks, although
I did see a handful of customers put a mask on to go to the carvery area, but with most
people not bothering, it seems like a pointless gesture to me, especially given how close
together the tables are...




MARK
 

island

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I was glad to see Toby Carvery returning to self-service for vegetables at the carvery deck in England this month.

The associated social media posts, however, have predominantly been covered by people freaking-out at having to handle serving spoons that were just used by another punter. (Napkins are available with which to hold the spoons if one is so concerned.)
 

Bikeman78

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I was glad to see Toby Carvery returning to self-service for vegetables at the carvery deck in England this month.

The associated social media posts, however, have predominantly been covered by people freaking-out at having to handle serving spoons that were just used by another punter. (Napkins are available with which to hold the spoons if one is so concerned.)
Whereas touching the door to get in or out, or the door to the toilets is absolutely fine of course.
 

dk1

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I hope table service is a legacy that stays from covid.
CANADA, US and parts of Europe offer table service as the norm and I much prefer ir
To an extent it’s okay. Ours is much better as you tend to order & pay beforehand rather than the laborious continental way of having to not only wait to get a drink but then wait for your bill. I found myself by the second night in France a couple of years back drinking more in the Irish pub where you ordered at the & paid at the bar & got your pint directly without having to mess about to pay before moving on.
 

jon0844

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Personally, I prefer to order on an app (ala Wetherspoons and now many other pub chains) and then sit back and relax. If staff are busy, I might have to wait a little longer but at least I'm not having to try and get their attention or wait at a bar to be served.

I also get to pay there and then.

On Saturday night I was at a birthday party in a pub restaurant and we had to order food and drink at the bar, and it seemed so archaic!
 

westv

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Nothing worse than arriving at a pub and seeing a wall of people between you and the bar.
 

VauxhallandI

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Went to a wedding in Thame last night, its was excellent.

No masks bar one member of staff, what they thought they were achieving I will never know.

The best bit however is that there was barely a mention of Covid at all - how refreshing
 

greyman42

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Nothing worse than arriving at a pub and seeing a wall of people between you and the bar.
You say "nothing worse", how about having to wear a mask to move around the pub and sitting anti-socially distanced from other pub goers surrounded by plastic screens? Give me queueing at the bar any day.
 

jon0844

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You say "nothing worse", how about having to wear a mask to move around the pub and sitting anti-socially distanced from other pub goers surrounded by plastic screens? Give me queueing at the bar any day.

Does any pub or restaurant have screens anymore?
 

dk1

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Last Wednesday, some Wetherspoons in central London still had them. Awful looking things that do nothing for the pub atmosphere.
And the more I tried not to crash into them or disturb them with my chair the more I did. Forever apologising to the folk on the opposite side.
 

DelayRepay

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Does any pub or restaurant have screens anymore?
I've been in both Wetherspoon and Green King pubs in the last week that have still has screens.

But, in both pubs, the screen only protected the part of the bar where the till was. The rest of the bar, where the beer pumps are, was not proteccted. And in both pubs the staff stood in the unprotected section (presumably because they like being able to hear the customers talking to them). In the Green King pub she referred to the screen as 'that stupid thing'. I expect if someone leans on it and breaks it, they won't be in a rush to send for a replacement!
 

dk1

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I've been in both Wetherspoon and Green King pubs in the last week that have still has screens.

But, in both pubs, the screen only protected the part of the bar where the till was. The rest of the bar, where the beer pumps are, was not proteccted. And in both pubs the staff stood in the unprotected section (presumably because they like being able to hear the customers talking to them). In the Green King pub she referred to the screen as 'that stupid thing'. I expect if someone leans on it and breaks it, they won't be in a rush to send for a replacement!

I think the screens mainly being talked about where the ones that separate tables. The bar mounted ones for staff protection at till points are still used.
 

DelayRepay

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I think the screens mainly being talked about where the ones that separate tables. The bar mounted ones for staff protection at till points are still used.

Ah I see. The only ones of those I've seen still in use are where they've got booths, and added a Perspex screen to the top of the existing separation so you don't really notice it. All the free standing ones separating normal tables and chairs are long gone around here.

I expect there is an absolute mountain of plastic in a landfill site somewhere as a result.
 

102 fan

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Ah I see. The only ones of those I've seen still in use are where they've got booths, and added a Perspex screen to the top of the existing separation so you don't really notice it. All the free standing ones separating normal tables and chairs are long gone around here.

I expect there is an absolute mountain of plastic in a landfill site somewhere as a result.


And to think before this virus hit plastic was the anti-christ. That was quickly forgotten.
 

davews

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The Capitol in Forest Hill where I ate yesterday still has all the big screens between the tables along with various arrows on the floor and rather annoyingly the flashing screens on the fruit machines with cycling hands/face/space stuff. But apart from that not a mask in sight.
 

WAB

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The so-called cashless Royal Albert Hall required cash remarkably frequently due to equipment failure. Maybe they should consider going back to the old-fashioned method of staff carrrying floats...
 

PeterC

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I was in Whitby this week. Some pubs were controlling access, some only allowing seated customers and some not giving a damn. As it was Regatta weekend some may have used covid as an excuse to keep the rowdier elements out

Some chippies were serving from the door rather than letting customers inside
 

yorkie

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I was in the Mad Bishop & Bear at Paddington today and it was busier than the last time I was there. There is the option to order through the website or at the bar. It felt normal.

Then for the meal we visited a pub that had the option of table service or ordering through an app. No issues here except one of the chairs was a bit on the high side! The place was also busy and the person serving us said things were getting back to normal.

Not a sign of a mask or anything else dystopian at either venue, which was excellent :) (Mask activists tend to avoid pubs and restaurants, which is nice)
 

dk1

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I was in Whitby this week. Some pubs were controlling access, some only allowing seated customers and some not giving a damn. As it was Regatta weekend some may have used covid as an excuse to keep the rowdier elements out

Some chippies were serving from the door rather than letting customers inside
My local chippy kept doing that up until last week. I question as to why they where persisting with this now especially as it was raining. Turned out it was due to one member of staff still not double jabbed & he was due to have it the following day.
 

greyman42

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I was in the Mad Bishop & Bear at Paddington today and it was busier than the last time I was there. There is the option to order through the website or at the bar. It felt normal.

Then for the meal we visited a pub that had the option of table service or ordering through an app. No issues here except one of the chairs was a bit on the high side! The place was also busy and the person serving us said things were getting back to normal.

Not a sign of a mask or anything else dystopian at either venue, which was excellent :) (Mask activists tend to avoid pubs and restaurants, which is nice)
Central London seems to be back to normal regarding restrictions. I have not visited one pub with any restrictions. If anyone knows of any, let me know and we can put it on a list of pubs to avoid.
 

yorksrob

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Back to normal now according to my experience thankfully, including out in the sticks.
 

Tracked

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Most of my regular pubs are back to normal, the only minor exceptions;
1 pub with the plastic screen part way round the bar
1 pub that's no standing (I've only seen all seats full around Christmas)
1 regular who wears a facemask between sips, but doesn't understand personal space ... <(

Some people occasionally wear facemasks as they enter.

Of the ones I've noticed the Track & Trace QR code, it's up but not in an obvious place anymore.
 
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