2 years of (relative) normality...

Indeed, 2 years have gone by since Covid-19 restrictions were eased sufficiently (blog) to say life was returning to near normality, and a few years of my life in which it's still difficult to remember just how long ago other events were, our memory banks were given a right bashing...

Anyway, feeling more 'normal' now, but stay safe still, and cheers! 👌

International Stout Day and Covid-19 Lockdown!

Yes, today is, coincidentally, both International Stout Day (website) and the first day of Lockdown Mark 2 in England (BBC), not great! I have written about Stouts and Porters before, if you want a bit of history and details (blog), but I'd forgotten about today until I looked in my diary, so I shall have to go out shortly and buy something dark to drink for later, together with essential foodstuffs obviously, as the pubs aren't open sadly...

As expected, the numpties in charge kept offering different opinions about what was happening about alcohol sales, first saying that pubs and bars, and restaurants for that matter, couldn't deliver or sell alcohol as a takeaway. Well, surprise surprise, numerous Government spokespeople got that wrong, see the above regulations.

Anyway, 'lockdown' lasts until the 2nd of December, allegedly, but don't hold your breath, so enjoy the days until then as well as you can, enjoy International Stout Day, and be safe, cheers!

Cask Ale Week!

What an opportune day to begin Cask Ale Week 2020 (website, and which is more than a week, certainly 1 or 2 over the 8 😉), that is, on Thursday just gone, when rules for drinking in pubs became even more complicated, some may say farcical, but rules are rules... I have written about the updated Covid-19 rules in my other blog, and I apologize if I seem to spend more time on that blog, but, as I always do, I promise to try and write more here, especially now that a Google 'improvement' has messed up my website address, or lost it!

Anyway, put on a face covering, go into a pub or 3, and have a decent pint of cask ale, cheers!

A Pint in a Pub, GORGEOUS TOO!

A wonderful pint from Kent Brewery (website), and I'm not apologizing for drinking from an Oakham glass because it's a nicely balanced glass to drink from and no Kent glasses available here. Anyway, their gorgeous (and I wrote that in my notes) 4.8% version of an APA, Prohibition, quality! I have written about this ale many times, not as much as I've happily drunk it though, a finalist in the 2019 CAMRA Champion Beer of Britain contest, and up there with the goodies, Oakham and Fyne ales, and many Yorkshire brewer's pale dry hoppy bitters too. 

I have had it since lockdown and the Coronavirus Crisis began, notably thanks to the life preserving delivery service of The Jolly Fisherman (website) a couple of weeks ago, but that fresh from the cask ale was wonderful. Okay, I'll have said it many times, Prohibition is a very pale golden bitter, straw coloured even, with a big citrus/tropical fruit aroma and taste, particularly grapefruit flavour. A good strength and body ensures you know you have had a drink, and it finishes with what I always rave about, a dry bitter aftertaste, I'll say it again, GORGEOUS!

And, knowing I can't travel far these days because of travelling restrictions brought in by the Government thanks to the Coronavirus Crisis, my drinking has to be in Hastings, or within walking distance of Hastings. So where did I have my first post-lockdown ale in a pub? The Dolphin Inn (website) at 11-12 Rock a Nore Road TN34 3DW, reopened on Monday, and it was great to meet up with people I'd not seen for a while, appropriate social distancing of course, and table service! As you can see from the interior photograph above, they have redecorated and re-planned the inside to a warm hospitable environment, not that it hasn't always been so.

Everything has been reorganized so that only one person can use each toilet at a time, during busy periods there will be someone on the door to ensure the numbers of customers in the pub are restricted at any one time, and services at the tables inside, though customers sitting outside can come to a set point for their drinks, and there is an off sales provision too. 

In the short-term there will be just the 4 ales on at any one time, including their 3 regulars still, Dark Star Hophead, Young's Special and Harvey's Sussex Best. This week the guest ales at the 4th pump will be from Kent Brewery (website), and as I said, they started off with Prohibition, of which they had 2 firkins, hurry if you want to drink Prohibition, as it is going quickly, but if you do miss it, it will be replaced by another excellent ale from that brewery, so no real concern. Oh yes, and they have a new chef, Tim, dishing up some very interesting looking food (website), specials on the menus are to be introduced as reopening lengthens, and a Japanese Evening is planned to be held soon, salivating at the thought. 😋

Whatever, wherever, remember to be careful fellow ale drinking folks, cheers!

Covid-19, Government Guidance & Pubs Reopening!

This is a slightly edited blog I wrote elsewhere, for Hastings, seeing as I can't get around the country like I used to! However, it should be pertinent wherever you live in England.

Happier Times, CHEERS!

It seems like we get new 'guidance' regularly (law, basically!) regarding Covid-19 and the Coronavirus Crisis from Her Majesty's Government, well, I'm sure you must be aware that newer guidance will be in force from the 4th of July, but hardly 'independence day' (website). So what major changes will there be from tomorrow? 

Your household will now be able to meet up with one other household, indoors or outdoors, however, you need to continue with social distancing from people not in your household or bubble (a group larger than 30 can be broken up by the Police!), and it continues that you may meet up outdoors as long as you maintain social distancing in a group of 6 maximum, from up to 6 different households.

Social Distancing will remain at TWO METRES or ONE METRE PLUS (website), that is "plus mitigations" which will depend on the setting. "For example, on public transport, people must wear a face covering... In other spaces mitigations could include installing screens, making sure people face away from each other, putting up handwashing facilities, minimising the amount of time you spend with people outside your household or bubble, and being outdoors."

All this is pretty much passing responsibility on to others, quite frankly, because, as we all know, the economic cost of the Coronavirus Crisis has been quite high to the Government, and they appear to want to get out of paying to support businesses, particularly in the Hospitality Sector, as early as possible, but not necessarily at the most sensible speed health-wise. So, guidance has been written up for Restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaway services (website) to 'support' pubs, restaurants and bars to reopen, and visiting such places ain't gonna be what we're used to!

I am not going to say 'yay' or 'nay' to whether people should visit pubs, bars and restaurants, that is our personal choice, bearing in mind the restrictions within the guidance offered by Government, how this is interpreted by local authorities and the Police and Courts, and not to forget, how the publicans, restaurateurs and managers interpret and implement guidance. It's a pig's ear frankly!

I have been asking around, and it looks like less than 50% of establishments in Hastings & St Leonards will reopen on the 4th, with many planning to open on Monday the 6th, quite a few later bearing in mind work being carried out in the meantime, some much later. I have added a photograph (above) of The Tower pub in London Road, which will be reopening tomorrow morning (it has been making off-sales during lockdown - blog) with details of changes to how it will appear, should you visit the pub.

The landlady has advised me that they are continuing today with the off-sales, as per my earlier blog, and will be open at their usual hours from the 4th of July, 11.00 am to 11.00 pm I believe. There will be table service only, no standing at the bar, so all customers will be seated, and no reservations in advance. I think this is pretty much the way it will be everywhere, except those with outside gardens/patios may have a few differences. Hygiene will be maximized and hand washing facilities and the use of sanitizing gel will no doubt be increased everywhere. Best wishes to Louisa and others! 

I can't provide details of who is opening, or when, throughout Hastings, but certainly in the 'old town' it appears that more pubs and bars will be closed than those open over this weekend. I presume similar will be happening throughout England!

Anyway, enjoy your weekend, wherever you go, and do be careful folks!

Covid-19 Guidance for Publicans Update!

OK, this is now online (website), advice for employers, ie publicans, it starts off with Health & Safety, making assessments, including staff in assessment, making a Risk Assessment. Workers and Customers who are unwell should go home/stay at home, wash hands and clean surfaces more frequently, using screens or barriers. 

Regarding customers, the publican should keep a list of customers for 21 days (!) in case NHS Test & Trace get in touch, as I suggested before, may get a few 'Micky Mouses'; indoors, people together should come from just 2 households including support bubbles; outdoors, there should be similar or groups of at most 6 people from different households, noting it is "against the law to gather in groups of more than 30 people" 

Steps recommended for publicans include reconfiguring tables and chairs to maintain social distancing; working with others in case there are queues (!); Managing queues and entry, this implies door security; Providing clear guidance on hygiene and social distancing; Encouraging customers to clean their hands with sanitizer; etc etc...

There is further advice about hygiene if selling food. 

OK, cutting & pasting the next bit, looks similar to what I was suggesting in my last blog, why am I not surprised? 

1. Encouraging use of contactless ordering from tables where available. For example, through an ordering app.
2. Adjusting service approaches to minimise staff contact with customers. Indoor table service must be used where possible, alongside further measures such as assigning a single staff member per table. Outdoor table service should also be encouraged, although customers are permitted to stand outside if distanced appropriately. Where bar or counter service is unavoidable, preventing customers from remaining at the bar or counter after ordering.
3. Adjusting processes to prevent customers from congregating at points of service. For example, having only staff collect and return empty glasses to the bar.
4. Minimising contact between kitchen workers and front of house workers. For example, by having zones from which front of house staff can collect food.
5. Encouraging use of outdoor areas for service where possible. For example, increasing outdoor seating or outdoor points of service such as stalls.

It goes on to deal with keeping toilets cleaned regularly, hand sanitizer available for all, then on to staff issues, above is pretty much what us customers are interested in.

We are heading for interesting times, and not a few pub closures I fear.