Four weeks until beer garden: English pubs report fully booked

16-Mar-2021 - United Kingdom

Several weeks before the planned opening of outdoor gastronomy in England, numerous pubs already report: Fully booked. Many pubs and pub chains said their outdoor tables were already booked for weeks. "Demand has just exploded," said the head of the City Pub Group, Clive Watson, according to the PA news agency. Under the UK government's current plan, restaurants and pubs in England will be allowed to open their outdoor areas from April 12, with indoor visits allowed again from May 17. The earliest all Corona restrictions are to be lifted is June 21.

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There are already numerous bookings for May and even inquiries about larger events in June, Watson said. "But we can't act like we're out of this mess," the manager said. "A lot of people are still reluctant to make reservations, and there's extra caution around larger events like weddings."

Pub chain Fuller's also reported strong demand. Industry body UK Hospitality confirmed the impression. "It's not surprising that people are anxious to reconnect with friends and family after the terrible year we've had," said association chief executive Kate Nicholls. Many pubs would take a deposit when making bookings, she announced. This is to minimise the risk of not making sales if people don't turn up, she said.

The pub industry is looking back on a devastating year because of the Corona pandemic. The British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) estimates the loss of sales at 2.1 billion pints (0.568 litres each) of beer. "Our industry has been wrecked by Covid-19 and the lockdowns," said BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin. "It has been a year to forget for UK pubs."/bvi/DP/zb (dpa)

Note: This article has been translated using a computer system without human intervention. LUMITOS offers these automatic translations to present a wider range of current news. Since this article has been translated with automatic translation, it is possible that it contains errors in vocabulary, syntax or grammar. The original article in German can be found here.

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