Our Re-Opening Plans

As most people will be aware, Boris Johnson has now laid out a ‘roadmap’ for easing lockdown restrictions following the last 12 months of the Covid 19 pandemic. On 22nd February 2021 he set out the following timetable for the hospitality trade:

• 12 April – Restaurants and pub gardens will be allowed to serve customers sitting outdoors – including alcohol; customers can meet in a group of up to six people from different households; a maximum of two households can meet to form a group of any size

• 17 May – Hospitality venues can seat customers indoors; parties can be made up of a maximum of six people or two households of any size; groups seated outside must be smaller than 30 people

• 21 June – All restrictions will be lifted, and nightclubs will be allowed to re-open.

These dates are of course totally dependent on continuing reductions in the spread of the coronavirus.

The Case is hoping to re-open the first weekend after the 12th April as this will be our 7th anniversary as a Community pub. My, doesn’t time fly! At the moment we are still unsure of our opening hours but they will probably be similar to those we had before the November lockdown i.e. 3 hours Friday and Saturday evenings and 2 hours Sunday lunch time. These may change as the situation (and weather) improves.

At least for the immediate future, we intend to continue with all the Covid secure practices we put in place during the last year. For the time being we will be keeping the following precautions in place:

• retaining the full height screen around the bar

• hand sanitiser stations around the pub (inside and out)

• no seating at the bar

• use of only the disabled toilets while the garden is open

• a one way system when the inside of the pub can open

• visual reminders to maintain a safe social distance unless in a group

• use of the National track and trace system

Only when it is safe to do so and in accordance with Government guidelines will these measures be removed.

To start with we will be restricted to outside table service only and all customers will be
required to wear a face mask except when seated at their table. Customers are permitted to be seated in groups of up to 6 or 2 families.

We look forward to seeing as many of our regular customers as feel comfortable doing so, back at the pub as soon as possible. We will also be delighted to welcome new customers but please ask that you respect all the Covid related measures we will have in place to safeguard both your own health and that of others.

UPDATE 7/4/21: At the moment, it looks like we’re on track to achieve the above, for example see the details on our re-opening weekend.

UPDATE 17/6/21: Although we were able to keep to the above plan for the ‘Step Two’ and ‘Step Three’ changes (ie. those for 12th April and 17th May, respectively – see our posts here and here for details), given the prime minister’s announcement on 14/6/21 that relaxation of the final set of Covid restrictions are to be delayed (probably by four weeks), no further changes in our current opening hours or operating procedures are planned for the Case for the time being.

UPDATE 22/7/21: For news on the impact of the ‘Step Four’ changes, please see our post: Covid Rule Changes: 19th July.

For info on further developments, please continue to check our News feed.

Our volunteer gardeners have been doing sterling work during lockdown