Pub Guidance
Guidance
England guidance
Covid-19 secure guidance for pubs – link
Covid-19 secure guidane for the visitor economy – link
Test and Trace guidance – link
ICO data guidance – link
BII/BBPA/UKHI FAQ – link
CAMRA visitor guidance – link
Risk assessments
SIBA risk asssessment
HSE risk assessment – link
Scotland Guidance
Guidance – link
Checklist – link
Changes to outdoor areas – link
Wales
10pm closures
- All venues must close at 10pm, so we advise ‘last orders’ in good time before then
- All customers must be off your premises by 10pm, indoors and outdoors.
- If you are using an app, your apps and your staff should not accept or take payment for orders after this time and amendments to your app may need to be made to prevent this to prevent problems.
- If you are small venue with a bar service and screens, you must introduce a table service with staff taking orders manually, or an app based solution
- The ‘rule of six’ still applies
- Licensed and unlicensed businesses must also take all reasonable steps to ensure that the customer remains seated whilst consuming the food or drink on the premises.
Update: Payment may be taken at a bar or counter if safety measures are in place
The Government have now updated their guidance to clarify that in pubs, bars, and taprooms ‘payment should be taken at the table wherever possible, but may be taken at a bar or counter if safety measures are in place’.
For more information or to read the full guidance click here.
Rule of 6
- In England from Monday 14 September, people must not meet socially in groups of more than six. This replaces the existing guidance on allowing two households to meet indoors and the 30 people cap.
- Hospitality venues can have more than six people overall but no individual group of more than six.
- Venues will be legally required to request the contact details of a member of every party and record and retain these for 21 days and provide them to NHS Test and Trace when required.
- They will support local authorities to close venues that pose a risk to public health and fines will be levied against hospitality venues that are not Covid-secure. This will be supported by Covid Secure Marshals.
- The government will restrict the opening hours of premises, initially in local lockdown areas, with the option of national action in the future.
More information is available here – https://www.gov.uk/government/news/coronavirus-covid-19-what-has-changed-9-september
Face coverings
- Staff will be required to wear a face covering at all times and all businesses must remind customers to wear a face covering when mandated.
- Customers should wear a face covering indoors unless when seated to eat or drink. Customers should wear a face covering when entering, being taken to their tables, moving around (ie to the toilet) and leaving the premises
Full details available here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own/face-coverings-when-to-wear-one-and-how-to-make-your-own#when-to-wear-a-face-covering
QR posters and Covid app
From 24 September, venues in England and Wales must display an official NHS QR poster to support the rollout of the NHS Covid-19 app. Venues should download the QR codes at www.gov.uk/create-coronavirus-qr-poster
If customers do not have the NHS Covid 19 app on their phones, then you must continue to ask at least one member of every party of customers or visitors (up to 6 people) to provide their name and contact details.
In addition, you still need to:
- Keep a record of all staff working on their premises and shift times on a given day and their contact details.
- Keep these records of customers, visitors and staff for 21 days and provide data to NHS Test and Trace if requested.
In all instances you must ensure to adhere to General Data Protection Regulations.
Penalties
From 28 September, businesses and organisations will face stricter rules to make their premises COVID-19 secure:
- These requirements above come into law and fines of £1000, and rising up to £10,000 for repeated breaches can be applicable
- Businesses risk losing their licenses for breaches.
- Employers must not knowingly require or encourage someone who is being required to self-isolate to come to work.
Takeaway pints
The guidance is currently not clear, in our view as to how customers can order takeaway pints in disposable cups for consumption off site legally.
We are seeking urgent clarification on this from Government.
Scotland:
The number of people who can gather together, indoors or outdoors, will be set at maximum of six from two households. Moves announced today by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will be enforced from Monday (14 September), but people are urged to ‘abide by these stricter new limits immediately.’ Under 12s are excluded from the ‘rule of six’ …read more.
The 10pm curfew will take effect from Friday 25 September. When eating and drinking inside or outside in pubs, restaurants and cafes:
- no more than 6 people from up to 2 different households should meet at a time
- children under 12 from those 2 households are not counted towards the 6 people limit
You should also:
- book before you go if you can
- wear a face covering when moving around and not eating or drinking
- stay at least 1 metre apart from anyone outside your household
- stay seated – no standing, queueing at bars or dancing
- supply your contact details for Test and Protect
- no singing or shouting to avoid the spread of COVID-19
- limit the number of venues you visit in one day
Table service will be required in all settings.
Hospitality staff must wear face coverings.
Wales:
- Pubs will have to stop serving at 10pm, but customers can remain on the premises to finish their drinks.
- Face coverings are required in all indoor public places, for both customers and staff working in those indoor public areas;
- People in Wales can only meet socially indoors with people they live with (your household) and members of an exclusive extended household (known as a bubble). Meetings or gatherings indoors are limited to six people from the same extended household, not including any children under 11.
Wet pubs in NI to reopen on 23 September
The Northern Ireland Executive has agreed that wet pubs will be permitted to open on 23 September. There are specific requirements including identifying the number of people who can safely be accommodated, providing hand sanitiser, collecting customer details and providing table service.
Northern Ireland Executive tightens restrictions on hospitality from today
The NI Executive has from today introduced significant interventions to curb the spread of Covid-19 in Northern Ireland.
In addition to current household restrictions, the following measures which relate to the alcohol and hospitality industry come into regulatory effect from today, Friday 16th October, and will be in place for a period of four weeks:
- Closure of the hospitality sector apart from deliveries and takeaways for food, with the existing closing time of 11.00pm remaining.
- Other takeaway premises will be brought in line with hospitality with a closing time of 11.00pm;
- No mass events involving more than 15 people (except for allowed outdoor sporting events where the relevant number for that will continue to apply);
- Funerals to be limited to 25 people with no pre- or post-funeral gatherings;
- Off licenses and supermarkets will not sell alcohol after 8.00pm;
- Wedding ceremonies and civil partnerships to be limited to 25 people with no receptions. This will be implemented on Monday 19 October. Venues providing the post-ceremony or partnership celebration this weekend may remain open for this purpose but may not provide other services for people who are not part of the wedding or partnership party and this will be limited to 25.
Relaxation of licensing laws and outdoor seating
New legislation has passed to relax licensing (England and Wales) and outdoor seating arrangements (England only). It allows:
Licensing laws
- Automatically extend on-sales licences to allow them to serve alcohol off the premises until 30 September 2021
- Allow sales of alcohol in open containers for consumption outside the premises
- No need to apply or pay any fee
- After September 2021, premises will need to submit a minor variation to retain the permission
- Those that operate irresponsibly could be subject to a new, accelerated off-sales review process.
Outdoor seating
- Temporary, streamlined and fixed price process to obtain a licence to place tables and chairs and other furniture outside
- 7 day consultation and walkway consent is not required
- Fees set locally and capped at £100. Deemed consent from the local authority after 14 days
- Local authorities can set the duration but must not be less than 3 months and licence cannot extend beyond 30 September 2021
Guidance: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/pavement-licences-draft-guidance
Making lockdown measures accessible for blind and partially sighted customers
The RNIB have created a range of best practice guides to support your staff in welcoming blind and partially sighted customers within social distancing restrictions. This guidance will not only support your customers with sight loss but help to dramatically improve the overall customer experience. Click here to view the guides