Indoor service resumes across most of UK

Restaurants in England, Wales and Scotland can from today (17 May) serve diners inside their venues, as the government's roadmap out of lockdown continues. 

Only a third of licensed premises were able to reopen to guests when service was restricted to outside areas, according to the latest Market Recovery Monitor from CGA and AlixPartners.

The report shows Britain had 106,548 licensed premises at the end of April - 8,560 or 7.4% fewer than it did in March 2020.

Just under a third (32.9%) of all licensed premises traded during Britain’s first phase of post-lockdown reopening, with just over 35,000 sites welcoming guests since Monday 12 April.

Across Britain, nearly half (49%) of all food pubs and more than a third of community pubs (38.7%) and high street pubs (36.0%) traded in the first phase of re-opening, compared to three in 10 (29.2%) casual dining restaurants and one in six (16.6%) other restaurants.

In England, 29.6% of venues have traded since venues were permitted to open for outdoor-only service. The figure was slightly higher (31.1%) in Scotland, where operators had to wait until Monday 26 April, but were given the extra freedom to serve food indoors without alcohol until 8pm. Capacity was notably lower in Wales (24.6%).

Question mark over 21 June

In a press conference held on 14 May the prime minister said that the potential fourth phase of reopening - dropping all social distancing measures from 21 June - could be pushed back to due the Covid-19 so-called Indian variant of concern.

"The prime minister’s statement has introduced an element of doubt surrounding the dropping of restrictions on 21 June," comments UKHospitality chief executive Kate Nicholls. 

"The situation will clearly be closely monitored but should the roadmap timings slip, it is vital financial supports are forthcoming, and that business rates are postponed until October.

“Businesses need a swift, publicly stated commitment that such supports would be in place in the event of a delay to step four, to give venues some reassurance as they look toward the challenges of viable trading.”

You may also be interested in…