UKH reveals guidance for reopening

The guidance says pubs should consider the flow of staff and customers as part of the risk assessment.

All staff should wash their hands immediately before leaving home and when arriving at work and managers should remind everyone to wash their hands again at the beginning of every shift.

Operators should put return-to-work interviews in place. They should also undertake heightened disinfection for all frequently touched areas such as tables, chairs, counter tills and card machines.

Customers should keep the minimum safe distance from bar staff and other customers waiting in the queue through tape marks on the floor and signage.

Operators should take into account directional movement of customers ordering drinks at a till point then moving to a second place to collect drinks, and restrictions on customers remaining at the bar after ordering and receiving their drink should be considered.

Customers should be discouraged from returning empty glasses to the bar and should be collected by staff from tables.

Regular patrol

For outside areas, pubs should think about regular patrols of outside areas, smoking or vaping areas and look at the restrictions required for children’s play areas.

Toilets should be an area that adheres to distancing rules and all staff should be aware of this.

When it comes to food, the guidance suggested individually wrapped condiments and sauces should be offered on request and put with plated food, not left on tables.

Similarly, cutlery should be given to the customer rather than it being left on the table or for customers to collect themselves.

Table plans should be adjusted to adhere to distancing rules and customer contact with commodities such as menus, trays and napkins should be limited so cleaning or replacement is carried out after each use.

Disinfectants and sanitisers that are effective against bacteria should be used, as well as cold and flu viruses, as recommended by current Government advice.

Kitchen cleaning regimes should reflect the need to reduce risk from coronavirus, as well as maintaining all normal expectations relevant to a food business regarding hygiene.

Crockery washing

Movements of staff should be controlled to maintain mandated distancing measures where possible, such as one person at a time allowed in the chilled stores or dry stores.

Hand-washing glassware, plates and cutlery should be avoided where possible with glassware washed separately from plates and cutlery.

UKH said it envisages compliance checks will be carried out by enforcement bodes such as environmental health officers, which will be responsible for checking risk assessment, evidence and operational practices.

The trade body has also outlined a roadmap for the trade to restart, which lays out four areas Government can deliver for Britain and allow hospitality to play a “leading role in the recovery”.

The #FAIR4Hospitality ​campaign is based on:

• Wellbeing – endorse the sector’s best practice protocols and risk assessments for a Covid-secure restart
• Works – ensuring the furlough scheme is retained at full rate for hospitality until businesses successfully restart
• Communities – the Government should regulate a ‘National Time Out’ on rent payments for the remainder of this year and solution to address debt and costs for businesses
• Consumers – cut the rate of VAT for hospitality businesses to help boost confidence and incentivise visits to tourist destinations