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| VE Day 2020 |
Hello everyone, I hope you are all well rested and have been putting your time to productive use.
Here at the pub I’ve been busy with some essential cellar maintenance; which has only been made possible due to the temporary closure. I’m also still on track to be able to replace the roof on the southern plane in the latter part of this year, with some environmental survey work commencing next week.
Away from the pub I’ve been embracing the simple life, like much of the nation, baking bread! I may be biased but my 1lb sourdough loaves have been practised to near perfection, check out these little beauties!
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| 1lb Sourdough loaves |
Time has also allowed for some bicycle maintenance and a much 'put off' project. The hybrid is now sporting a large rear basket out of the dishwasher (aka, the beer bike) and also many apologies to anyone who suffers with an overactive anxiety of health and safety. I have repaired and refurbished DA's bicycle and he has been sited back on the roads, you have been warned!
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| DA's Refurbished 1981 Triumph Traffic Master |
Some of you have been enjoying bottled conditioned ales, from Yorkshire Dales Brewing Company, via the ‘Red Lion Beer Bike!’ This, once fortnightly, enterprise has been a fantastic way to still keep in touch with everyone and supply terrific locally crafted beer. May I take this opportunity to pass on Rob’s (the brewer) thanks and appreciation to all, for their continued support through these challenging times, cheers! The beer bike deliveries will continue on throughout the summer with an expected phasing out as the pub reopens. Anyone within the village who would like more information on the beer deliveries can contact me on 07871865118.
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| Delivering to Station Terrace on the Beer Bike! |
The anticipated reopening of the Red amongst all I have spoken to is palpable. We miss the laughter, conversation, conviviality and draught ale! While some assume public houses could be open from the 4th July, I would like to steady that wave of excitement and err on the side of caution. The pub will have to be ‘COVID19 ready,’ as yet, those guidelines have not been produced for the food and drink sector. Most of the non-essential retail sector will start to reopen from the 15th of this month; my guess is we shall be looking to the success of their progress and subsequent ‘R – rate’ to determine the likelihood of a July opening for pubs.
What can we do until then?
I say to all who enjoy the comfort of the Red Lion, please make yourselves COVID19 ready! There will be change, though in most instances this will just be a shift of mindset to embrace change. If we can all anticipate and prepare for this new normal, a more seamless return to socialisation will occur.
· Please make sure you have the means to pay via contactless payment; I will no longer be able to accept cash.
· Always carry an emergency face covering with you. I can’t foresee a situation within the Red that this would be purposeful; however, it will become as normal as your mother making sure you don’t leave the house without a hanky in your pocket!
· The days of standing at the bar have gone, I have one of the smallest bar hatches and it will unfortunately never be a safe area for social distancing. Table service will be the only safe method for point of sale, I already have the technology in place to take contactless payment at the table and I can also send remote payment links to smart phones.
· Don’t come out on an empty stomach. I will be temporarily removing all bar snacks from sale in the pub. Whilst every care will be taken to sanitise all surfaces between shifts; the increased risk of infection through hand contact means you don’t want to be shoving your fingers in your mouth!
· Expect and insist on clean glassware. To be honest you’re all familiar with this in the Red anyway; a fresh clean glass, every time, for better cleanliness, hygiene and beer quality.
· There will be sanitising stations located at points of entry/exit in the pub, please use them. I cannot operate the pub beyond the summer months with all doors secured open; it would be like drinking in a freezer! We’re all going to need to be accustomed in exercising good hand hygiene to safely move throughout the pub.
· As with leaving your house for any situation, please stay at home if you’re displaying COVID19 symptoms or have been asked to self isolate. Whilst I always enjoy the company of all my customers, the careless spread of infection within an enclosed space, like the Red, could have a large detrimental impact to our local community.
· Embrace your inner calm! Things will take longer as working practices have to be adapted, I remain to have only one pair of hands and they are going to need to be washed with far greater frequency.
· Don’t burst your bubble! Social distancing will continue to remain in place, this is currently 2 metres. Please be respectful of that distance, which I will mark out where practical, stay at your own allocated table and within your own social bubble.
· Toilet capacity. The gents will be limited to one person at the urinals and one in the bull stall! Please allow sufficient room for social distancing to take place, waiting beyond the access to the toilets where necessary.
· I may need to initially operate on an invitation/booking only basis. Safe working practices will need to be trialled within a controlled environment. Workable capacity may also inevitably effect weekly opening hours.
I think that broadly covers most of my early thought process, though as I previously said, no government guidelines have yet been produced for our sector. My overriding message for now is; be respectful to each other, embrace the necessary changes and get a contactless payment card!
See you all soon,
Richard