How was the "new normal" pub/cafe experience for you?

[45107]

It’s totally non-threatening and tongue-in-cheek. Call a spade a spade - it’s that sort of place. If it was a chain pub, I’d agree - but in a pub where everyone is a giant family it’s a welcome sign that things are returning to normal.

Agree with you about the pub.
Depending on the time the photo was taken, I was sat about 2 tables away for a while.

 

[Ashley Hill]

Have just returned from my local again having spent another convivial afternoon in it. The landlord reported a steady trade all day yesterday with no trouble whatsoever. This morning,he spoke to other landlords who said the same-steady and sensible. It's a shame that the media only report the bad behaviour that occurred in what is probably the usual problem areas.

 

[greyman42]

Have just returned from my local again having spent another convivial afternoon in it. The landlord reported a steady trade all day yesterday with no trouble whatsoever. This morning,he spoke to other landlords who said the same-steady and sensible. It's a shame that the media only report the bad behaviour that occurred in what is probably the usual problem areas.

Yes, i would of thought that the media will have been very disappointed with the vast majority of good behaviour.

 

[Busaholic]

Fairly quiet in my home town tonight.The combination of wind and light rail may well have contributed to that.

The wind blew the tram off the track? Sorry, couldn't resist.

 

[Bletchleyite]

Went to cycle the Cambs Busway (again) with a friend this time and had a pint in a beer garden on getting to Cambridge. This wasn't hugely different from normal other than that they were serving from an outside hatch rather than the bar, and they were randomly checking temperatures with one of those gun things.

 

[185143]

Went in a few 'Spoons on Saturday.

Was much less clinical and dystopian than I'd feared. You were met by a manager on the door, the only Lloyd's bar I visited also had two bouncers on the door. Most staff I came across were not wearing masks. You were asked to read the guidelines at the door before and use hand sanitizer before entering. I figured it best not to mention while being briefed in the last pub when I had to wait a few minutes while a couple of tables were cleared that I'd already read the rules 4 times that day!

Use of the app is predictably heavily encourage and you are then offered a disposable menu and a test and trace form (interestingly in the last pub I was in, that was offered as a "if you want one they're on the side") which you deposit in a box on your departure. Some pubs are allocating you a table, whereas others are giving you free reign as long as you sit at an appropriate table as per your group. A manager at around 3PM told me they had a seated capacity of around 170, but realistically the most they would be looking at was around 120 due to 1 group per table. They'd had a steady average of around 50 since opening at that point.

All in all, was very impressed. Aside from the briefings and having to be muzzled on transport to and from the pub, it all felt quite... normal.

 

[Jamesrob637]

Went in a few 'Spoons on Saturday.

Was much less clinical and dystopian than I'd feared. You were met by a manager on the door, the only Lloyd's bar I visited also had two bouncers on the door. Most staff I came across were not wearing masks. You were asked to read the guidelines at the door before and use hand sanitizer before entering. I figured it best not to mention while being briefed in the last pub when I had to wait a few minutes while a couple of tables were cleared that I'd already read the rules 4 times that day!

Use of the app is predictably heavily encourage and you are then offered a disposable menu and a test and trace form (interestingly in the last pub I was in, that was offered as a "if you want one they're on the side") which you deposit in a box on your departure. Some pubs are allocating you a table, whereas others are giving you free reign as long as you sit at an appropriate table as per your group. A manager at around 3PM told me they had a seated capacity of around 170, but realistically the most they would be looking at was around 120 due to 1 group per table. They'd had a steady average of around 50 since opening at that point.

All in all, was very impressed. Aside from the briefings and having to be muzzled on transport to and from the pub, it all felt quite... normal.

If that was your weekend experience, I'm looking forward to frequenting Spoons in other cities on weekdays during the coming weeks! Will only frequent independents in my city as they need locals' custom.

 

[185143]

If that was your weekend experience, I'm looking forward to frequenting Spoons in other cities on weekdays during the coming weeks! Will only frequent independents in my city as they need locals' custom.

I must add that this was in the afternoon, albeit mostly in a city centre. I'd left my last pub by 18:00

 

[yorksrob]

Well, I met up with an esteemed fellow member of this forum and visited the pub in York yesterday for the first time since lockdown.

It was quite blissful actually. It's a pub I'm quite fond of anyway with a tendancy towards good beer and good music. It was very relaxed (possibly due to being a Sunday) and they seemed to have the table service working very well.

The loo was interesting - one person at a time and that person had to take the key with them. A bit like a single line token !

It was also my first time back in York, which was very nice. I'd forgotten how much I'd missed the old place !

 

[Mintona]

Bemused by anybody visiting a Wetherspoons anymore tbh

 

[mmh]

Bemused by anybody visiting a Wetherspoons anymore tbh

Why? They have some great pubs (with how big a chain they are, it'd be difficult not to!)

 

[DB]

Why? They have some great pubs (with how big a chain they are, it'd be difficult not to!)

Everything about them is quantity rather than quality! Some of them are reasonable, but I wouldn't say any are great.

I've also been put off by the tendency of the chairman to push his political views relentlessly, and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

A friend and I enjoyed a pleasant walk from Leeds to Apperley Bridge via the canal towpath on Saturday. We decided to have a pub stop on reaching Rodley but of the two pubs there one was not yet open and the other had no real ale.

We finally got lucky at the Railway pub at Calverley Bridge and enjoyed a couple of pints of Timothy Taylor’s Landlord in the beer garden. We were advised to write our names and phone numbers on a register by the bar, otherwise not much different from pre-lockdown experience, we were even able to pay in cash!

On reaching Apperley Bridge the first pub wouldn't let us in as we hadn't prebooked (even though it looked very quiet inside). The second pub looked busy as the beer garden was full (even though it was raining) so more in hope than expectation we asked at the door if there was a table free inside and surprisingly there was so we enjoyed another pint and the luxury of table service.

We got the train back into Leeds and called at the Scarbrough Hotel opposite the station. We had to queue for about 10 minutes to get in but was fine on entrance with table service again and card payments only.

So all in all a much less draconian experience than media reports had led us to believe. There was the odd awkward moment when passing a little too close to other drinkers or when visiting the toilets ("one in one out" a little too strictly applied for me - why can't you use the urinal when the adjoining cubicle is occupied?) but as we all get used to the changes I'm sure things will get less formal.

 

[Camden]

Disappointing to hear on here of two places that aren't taking customer details. Above cleanliness, this is probably the most important thing they can do as it means if there is an outbreak people can be contacted swiftly.

It's not clear whether government mandates this (their guidance says "should" a lot on this), but I wouldn't frequent a place that was unwilling to play its part in keeping things going. Being able to stamp out small fires that emerge will be crucial in the months ahead, if we are to avoid rapid increases seen elsewhere.

 

[yorksrob]

Disappointing to hear on here of two places that aren't taking customer details. Above cleanliness, this is probably the most important thing they can do as it means if there is an outbreak people can be contacted swiftly.

It's not clear whether government mandates this (their guidance says "should" a lot on this), but I wouldn't frequent a place that was unwilling to play its part in keeping things going. Being able to stamp out small fires that emerge will be crucial in the months ahead, if we are to avoid rapid increases seen elsewhere.

Do pubs get this from the electronic payment ?

 

[mmh]

Disappointing to hear on here of two places that aren't taking customer details. Above cleanliness, this is probably the most important thing they can do as it means if there is an outbreak people can be contacted swiftly.

It's not clear whether government mandates this (their guidance says "should" a lot on this), but I wouldn't frequent a place that was unwilling to play its part in keeping things going. Being able to stamp out small fires that emerge will be crucial in the months ahead, if we are to avoid rapid increases seen elsewhere.

Taking customer details is just lipservice to those who think there's any point to it. Like any other list taken in a pub, it'll be mostly unusable nonsense.

 

[CaptainHaddock]

Taking customer details is just lipservice to those who think there's any point to it. Like any other list taken in a pub, it'll be mostly unusable nonsense.

At one of the pubs we called at we were just told that they would appreciate it if we downloaded their app and filled in our contact details on there, but this was very much voluntarily.

 

[yorksrob]

I don't mind giving my name and contact number, however I don't want to be fannying around with apps and the like.

 

[185143]

I don't mind giving my name and contact number, however I don't want to be fannying around with apps and the like.

Thing is with 'Spoons, a lot of lazy bast.../customers such as my good self will be used to using the app already.

Being able to order on your own whilst having to give a table number in a busy pub is made far, far easier by being able to order without even getting off your arse...

 

[Bletchleyite]

Thing is with 'Spoons, a lot of lazy bast.../customers such as my good self will be used to using the app already.

Being able to order on your own whilst having to give a table number in a busy pub is made far, far easier by being able to order without even getting off your arse...

Agreed. Now if only the app could go to the loo for you as well

 

[GusB]

I've just returned from having my first pint since the pubs re-opened today. Entry was via the front door, drink was ordered in the bar and paid for, then I had to exit via the back door into the car park where tables and chairs were placed and a gazebo provided some shelter. Unfortunately it was rather windy and I wasn't really dressed for sitting outside for any great length of time, so I quickly finished my pint and said my goodbyes.

I may pop out again after tea, but I'll make sure I've got a jacket with me and wear some long trousers!

 

[Camden]

Do pubs get this from the electronic payment ?

No they wouldn't do. In the event of an emergency I'm sure the authorities could require the matching information from banks, but that all takes far too much time. The same data protection laws that create the delay are probably responsible for keeping lists being a "should" rather than a "must".

In the absence of a track and trace app, a simple list kept for 21 days would be invaluable. If someone with the virus stated they'd been to pub X, pub X is contacted by public health, supplies list and within hours everyone on it has been alerted, potentially quelling any outbreak as a result. The ability of any such system to keep the majority safe would I'm sure enhance confidence generally for going out.

 

[MikeWM]

In the absence of a track and trace app, a simple list kept for 21 days would be invaluable. If someone with the virus stated they'd been to pub X, pub X is contacted by public health, supplies list and within hours everyone on it has been alerted, potentially quelling any outbreak as a result.

Imagine they had been to say 6 busy pubs in the last week? You'd have to tell potentially thousands of people to quarantine as a result. The system isn't going to work if people are being continually contacted and told to isolate, as they quickly won't take it seriously, or just won't be able to do it because they need to go to work and earn money. It's far better being restricted to people that have spent a substantial amount of time at close quarters. Sure, you might miss someone that way, but it seems you're likely to miss someone under pretty much *any* system anyway.

The ability of any such system to keep the majority safe would I'm sure enhance confidence generally for going out.

Wouldn't for me. I don't want to have to isolate for two weeks at a time - multiple times - because I happened to be 100 feet away in a busy pub from someone who may not even have been infected at the time. (Obviously it is a different matter if someone I was close to for an extended time later fell ill, but that doesn't need a massive state-run apparatus, quite sufficient for them just to tell me).

 

[ForTheLoveOf]

Wouldn't for me. I don't want to have to isolate for two weeks at a time - multiple times - because I happened to be 100 feet away in a busy pub from someone who may not even have been infected at the time. (Obviously it is a different matter if someone I was close to for an extended time later fell ill, but that doesn't need a massive state-run apparatus, quite sufficient for them just to tell me).

Sensible pub contact tracing systems involve noting down table numbers. Only those within infectious range of an infected patron would then be contacted.

 

[yorkie]

Good experience in York today. We went past a few good options but the first port of call was able to accommodate us.

The place I went to had a system where you had to request the key (which was stored in sanitiser) so that it was one person at a time; that could become an issue at busy times and is probably not sustainable in the longer term, but it was no issue when we visited.

The place was reasonably busy and plenty of people were ordering food, but there was also plenty of space.

Table service was provided and it was all very civilised.

It makes me want to go to the pub more often.

If anyone is thinking of visiting York, now is a good time. There are far fewer tourists than normal but many places are starting to open up.

Disappointing to hear on here of two places that aren't taking customer details....

There was no need at the place I went to; all the tables were well spaced out so there wasn't a need to come into close proximity to anyone. Therefore there was less need to take customer details for this visit than there would be on the tube!

It's not mandatory; clearly it's going to vary depending on the venue, with it being more appropriate if there isn't going to be much social distancing going on.

 

[45107]

I’ve been in 4 different pubs so far since re-opening.
1. Pretty much normal service, but one way system to exit. No registration
2. Table service only. No registration.
3. Table service only. Register using the pub supplied tablet. No cash.
4. Registration but normal service available at the bar.

Both pubs with registration state they keep details for 21 days.

 

[MikeWM]

The place I went to had a system where you had to request the key (which was stored in sanitiser) so that it was one person at a time; that could become an issue at busy times and is probably not sustainable in the longer term, but it was no issue when we visited.

Sounds a decent place in general, but this would be an issue for me - fairly severe skin allergies mean I can't risk contact with chemicals unless I know what they are. So the sanitiser thing is starting to irritate me, perhaps even more than masks :-/

 

[yorkie]

I suppose the way round that would be to wear gloves.

But you make a valid point: many of the mitigations are not suitable for everyone due to various reasons, so things are going to have to get back to normal by the end of August at the very latest.

 

[NorthWestRover]

Excellent experience at Wigan Central. Greeted on arrival. Everything explained. Very civilised. Continental feel with the table service. "Rules" are railway themed. Have a semaphore signal to indicate you want to order!

 

[Howardh]

I don't mind giving my name and contact number, however I don't want to be fannying around with apps and the like.

Sorting an app out at 7.15pm is no problem, at 10.15pm it may be....