Anxious pub owners have said they breathed a sigh of relief when Cornwall was given Covid Tier 1 status this morning, but added they are concerned about people travelling from higher-risk places.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock confirmed Cornwall will return to its pre-lockdown designation of “medium” risk for coronavirus, letting pubs reopen with table service and a later kick-out time of 11pm.
Jay Bradbury, who runs the Railway Inn in Redruth with her business partner Peter Wick, said she had been worried while waiting for the announcement, and that Tier 2 would have spelt disaster for her pub.
“With today’s info, at least we can open,” she said: ”I just spent thousands on restocking the pub all the stuff we had to throw out during the first lockdown, and loads on refurbishing.
“I’m absolutely relieved. Tier 2 would have meant the end for us. One hundred percent. We’d have struggled on until Christmas and then probably admitted defeat.
“This way, we can at least make some semblance of money. Though as a fairly late drinking pub in normal times, we won’t be as busy as I’d like to be.
“I’d have lost all my money, and potentially have lost more than £100,000 already.”
Ms Bradbury, who took on the Railway Inn last November, said the good news does come with some drawbacks.
With most of the country, including Devon, in Tier 2 - which means pubs may only serve alcohol with a substantial meal - she is concerned about people travelling into Cornwall.
Under Tier 2 restrictions, people may travel to Tier 1 areas but, according to the Government website, must still adhere to Tier 2 rules.
Ms Bradbury said this will be hard to enforce: “We’re taking out extra security over Christmas, because I can’t take any risks. I can’t afford any disruptions to my license so we are looking to check IDs and where people live when they enter.”
“Luckily, we have a good relationship with the local police around here, and the locals know I won’t stand for any shenanigans from anyone.”
“It’s a good move for us. I’m just very mindful, though, and this five-day relaxation on Christmas I don’t think is a smart idea.”
Sally Weeks, landlady of the King’s Arms in Stratton, near Bude, said she is also cautiously relieved at the Tier 1 news: “Tier 2 would not have necessarily been the end for us, but you lose all your drinkers.
“I’ve got a restaurant, but you need both to survive in a pub like this, since our locals are all work boys who come here for a late drink on Friday and Saturday.
“Staying open until 11 helps. Before, when we ran the pub quiz I had to read the questions so quick no one could hear me. And it felt bad kicking everyone out at 10.
“You have to adapt, though,” she added.
Ms Weeks has also only run her pub for around a year, and said while Tier 1 is great news for her business in the short term, Bude business owners’ existing fears of holidaymakers causing infection spikes are not going away.
“With second homes too, that’s always a concern. We’ve had to be really careful, because in the worst case scenario one person on holiday brings a case with them and you have to shut.”
She also said people hopping over the county line from Plymouth and the rest of Devon to drink could be a huge risk to Cornish pubs.
“I don’t want to lose business, and we also don’t want the infection rate around here to get any higher,” Ms Weeks said. “It really is a catch 22 around here.”
Both Ms Weeks and Ms Bradbury said the first Covid wave really hurt their business.
Ms Bradbury, in particular, dreads the thought of returning to the same restrictions the UK saw in Spring: “That first lockdown was a killer for us,” she said.
“We had very little government support, and the way loans were organised really hurt smaller businesses like us.
“We’re lucky with our brewery, though, Celtic, who have been amazing. The best people to work with.”
Ms Bradbury said that, instead of a second eat out to help out scheme, help for pubs to set up takeaway, delivery and possibly extra security in Cornwall would be much more useful.
“Our trade dropped by 80% by October, and we couldn't afford to set up a proper delivery system like some of the bigger pubs could, and the support offered by the government was a joke.
“Eat out to help out was not the best way they could have help us, cramming people into a building just made things worse.“
Sally Pickles, owner of the Bowgie Inn, near Newquay, suffered less as her pub has a large restaurant - but said the Tier 1 news was a pleasant surprise in what has been a tough year for everyone.
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“It’s a little bit of relief after this lockdown,” Ms Pickles said.
”We were all very hopeful we’d be in Tier 1 but, also, people were speculating it could go the other way.”
Ms Pickles is also concerned about the nearby Tier 2 designation, but said the British public could be forgiven for not understanding it.
“It’s opened up another grey area, hasn’t it? It’s all quite confusing.
“The extra hour for pubs to open doesn’t help us much, but is a good step because turfing people out by 10pm just drove them to crowd around takeaways which didn’t help anyone.”
https://news.google.com/__i/rss/rd/articles/CBMiVmh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmNvcm53YWxsbGl2ZS5jb20vbmV3cy9jb3Jud2FsbC1uZXdzL2Nvcm53YWxsLXB1Yi1vd25lcnMtd29ycnktb3Zlci00NzM5OTAy0gFaaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuY29ybndhbGxsaXZlLmNvbS9uZXdzL2Nvcm53YWxsLW5ld3MvY29ybndhbGwtcHViLW93bmVycy13b3JyeS1vdmVyLTQ3Mzk5MDIuYW1w?oc=5
2020-11-26 19:02:00Z
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