Premises with beer gardens should be among the first pubs to open after the lockdown, according to the British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA).
The logic is that pubs with beer gardens or outside terraces would be best placed to meet the social distancing restrictions required for re-opening from 4th July.
The trade association estimates that there are some 27,000 pubs across the UK with beer gardens — more than half of the UK’s total of 47,000 pubs.
The BBPA has previously welcomed the news that pubs could re-open as part of phase three of the government’s roadmap, which starts from 4th July at the earliest. However, it has stated that more clarity is needed on the conditions pubs will need to re-open under in July, and that the government must recognise that many pubs may not be able to meet the safety criteria and so be forced to stay closed beyond that date.
To help steer the re-opening of Britain’s pubs, the trade association is to work in partnership with the government through its pubs and restaurants taskforce. It will offer its expertise and insights, including offering assistance with pilot schemes, to help ensure pubs re-open safely for staff and customers and under conditions that are operationally viable.
There has also been speculation that the government is considering introducing more flexibility for pubs, restaurants, and bars to use other outside space, including pavements, and that they could also be given permission to sell food and drink from street stalls outside their premises in the coming weeks.
