Plan B Covid restrictions hit Mid Sussex pubs and restaurants

Last week Prime Minister Boris Johnson told people to work from home if possible from Monday (December 13).

People were also told that they should take a daily lateral flow test for seven days if they come into contact with a Covid-19 case and they are fully vaccinated.

Meanwhile, unvaccinated adults must self-isolate for ten days, and masks are mandatory in theatres and cinemas, but not pubs at the moment.

Mark Collins, the owner of The Oak Barn Bar & Restaurant in Burgess Hill, said the new rules and downbeat media coverage has had ‘a dramatic effect on bookings’.

“Up to 40 per cent of Christmas parties have been cancelled per night,” he said, adding that normally a busy December helps the restaurant get through a quiet January and February.

“The phone usually rings for more bookings but the phone now isn’t ringing,” he said. “It’s just cancel, cancel, cancel.”

“Just two more weeks and we would have made a bit of money to help us get through,” said Mark, adding that the funds were much needed after ‘a year’s worth of lockdown’.

Mark said the cancellations are also shame because The Oak Barn staff have worked hard for months to put on a series of Christmas party nights.

These involve a three-course meal, music, bingo, and a disco, said Mark, adding that food had been pre-ordered, deposits had been taken, and staff had spent a lot of time writing name cards.

“It’s really the businesses that have cancelled on us,” he said.

“The general public are still coming along, but the bigger businesses are being asked to work from home.”

“Obviously, they can’t be working from home and then be going out to a Christmas party,” he added.

Mark said he understands the government’s concern about the omicron variant of Covid and could not think of an alternative course of action to take.

But he said that if more restrictions were needed then hospitality would need financial help.

“We can’t work from home, we can’t function like that, so we’re going to need some support to help us through,” said Mark.

Martin Barrett, the landlord of The Talbot in Cuckfield, said: “The Government have brought restrictions in but they haven’t really brought in anything specifically for pubs and restaurants.”

However, he said the pub was seeing a lot of cancellations anyway, especially for business parties, families and older people, mainly because of people’s fears about the omicron variant.

“I think the companies that employ those people (that work at home) are now stopping Christmas parties,” he said.

“The older generations are saying ‘we don’t know what’s going to happen in two weeks, it will be safer not to do it’,” he added.

But Martin said that he and his team were determined to ‘give it a good go’ and be ready for customers who did come in.

“There is that concern in the back of your head where you’re thinking ‘we’re two weeks away from Christmas and at any point they (the Government) could just put the brakes on’,” he said.

“Hospitality has had a big hit during this Covid pandemic.”

Looking on the bright side, Martin said that pubs had been very resourceful during Covid and created new revenue streams by offering takeaways.

He also said some places had given uneaten food to charities and that the industry as a whole had pulled together.

Some establishments in Mid Sussex have been generally upbeat about the restrictions.

Lance Nuttall from The Woolpack in Howard Avenue, Burgess Hill, said that he did not think the new restrictions would impact the pub.

“I’m not concerned about them,” said Lance.

“We certainly have seen some cancellations, that’s very real, but not terminal,” he added.

Lance added that business this winter was much better than last year.

“Christmas is a big time for us, we really go for it here, and it means a lot of people whose Christmas got cancelled last year are up for coming out.”

He added that many of his customers visit as a group and take lateral flow tests beforehand.

Has your pub or restaurant been affected the by the new Covid restrictions or fears over the omicron variant?

Let us know by emailing [email protected].