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

[Cowley]

Generally I'd agree there, but just about the best cooked breakfast I've ever had was on The Enterprise train from Dublin to Belfast. Do it. You won't regret it.

That sounds lovely. We’re hoping go to NI next month and last year we went via Dublin and caught the train.
Unfortunately I don’t think we will be this time though. Not unless we’re willing to take three weeks off work unpaid anyway...

 

[Journeyman]

That sounds lovely. We’re hoping go to NI next month and last year we went via Dublin and caught the train.
Unfortunately I don’t think we will be this time though. Not unless we’re willing to take three weeks off work unpaid anyway...

Ireland is in the Common Travel Area and there's currently no restrictions on access or requirement to quarantine.

 

[Cowley]

Ireland is in the Common Travel Area and there's currently no restrictions on access or requirement to quarantine.

Now I thought that we might have to quarantine if we went via Rosslare and drove to Bangor?*
I’ve probably got that wrong but because I’ve been so busy with work at the moment I’ve left it to Mrs C to organise things and I’m not particularly over the detail like I usually would be.

* I have a brother-in-law that seems to be taking the threat of the virus somewhat seriously to say the least...

 

[Journeyman]

Now I thought that we might have to quarantine if we went via Rosslare and drove to Bangor?*
I’ve probably got that wrong but because I’ve been so busy with work at the moment I’ve left it to Mrs C to organise things and I’m not particularly over the detail like I usually would be.

* I have a brother-in-law that seems to be taking the threat of the virus somewhat seriously to say the least...

You could be right, actually. I've just had a look and it's not very clear, at least not at gone midnight...

 

[johntea]

Went to a few pubs in Bradford - City Vaults / Old Bank / Ginger Goose who all enforced a mandatory table policy (I believe the same owner for all 3 pubs though which explains the consistent policy)

All the Spoons I've visited are just walk straight in, nobody seems to be really enforcing anything now - also the small screens around the tills seem a bit pointless when the rest of the bar area is totally uncovered! Another thing I didn't quite understand having a breakfast in one the other day was 'clean coffee cup for each refill'...what is that meant to achieve?! (apart from more washing up...)

 

[mmh]

Well, I'm glad I don't own a pub as you would be barred permanently for this incredibly stubborn, inconsiderate approach.

Please, please play along. It's for everyone's good. It's not a conspiracy and it's not all out to get you.





You'd be contacted, and the tracers would establish if you had come within 2m for more than 15 minutes of someone affected, or within 1m for any period of time (beyond just walking past), and in that case you would. Otherwise you'd be warned and asked to watch out for symptoms, which is probably going to influence people ensuring they get a test if they sort of suspect symptoms.

I'm getting thoroughly bored of refuseniks. They're probably the same people who get into nonsensical arguments with Police Officers (something which, oddly, has never happened to me).

I rather think you surrendered your right to be quite so self-righteous of those cynical about such things after your own dismissal of advice not to travel back in the storms in February. You were quite adamant that there was no reason not to, because your judgement was better. Now other people are making their own judgements.

 

[Bletchleyite]

I rather think you surrendered your right to be quite so self-righteous of those cynical about such things after your own dismissal of advice not to travel back in the storms in February. You were quite adamant that there was no reason not to, because your judgement was better. Now other people are making their own judgements.

The key difference between the two is that travelling in a storm and getting stranded as a result affected me. Ignoring measures like masks, contact tracing etc affects others. Unfortunately, people need pressuring to be altruistic. What people do that affects only themselves is indeed up to them.

 

[Mag_seven]

Just a gentle nudge folks that this thread is for you to discuss your experience of the "new normal" in pubs cafes etc. If you want to discuss anything else then please start a new thread.

 

[ainsworth74]

The track & trace was done by means of a QR code but you are not forced to do this.

It was, however, very disappointing that in order to register your details for track & trace you had to sign up to their email newsletter and other promotions (I read carefully, it wasn't an email to tell you there was Covid-19 issue it was very much a "get the latest news and special offers!" email). Which I think was really underhand. Certainly I wasn't willing to sign up with my details just to open myself to being advertised to by them! Hopefully in other "new normal" pubs/restaurants a more pragmatic approach is being taken. Certainly it was at the Royal Oak anyway where they just asked you to email them your details rather than sign up for something!

In any event though it was, otherwise, a very pleasant experience. I could certainly get used to table service at more pubs as well rather than having to queue at the bar!

 

[Bletchleyite]

It was, however, very disappointing that in order to register your details for track & trace you had to sign up to their email newsletter and other promotions (I read carefully, it wasn't an email to tell you there was Covid-19 issue it was very much a "get the latest news and special offers!" email). Which I think was really underhand.

And a very clear breach of GDPR. May be worth reporting to the ICO.

 

[greyman42]

All the Spoons I've visited are just walk straight in, nobody seems to be really enforcing anything now - also the small screens around the tills seem a bit pointless when the rest of the bar area is totally uncovered!

Wetherspoons seem to offer the best "normal" experience by far out of the chains. Credit should go to Tim Martin who often gets a lot off stick.

 

[45107]

My experience of ‘spoons (2 so far)is that a queuing system is in place, and you wait until a table is available.
I assume that the screens are there as that is the ‘contact’ point between punter and staff (ie pay up now).
I have seen photos of one ’spoons having a sign outside saying ‘waiting time - 1 hour‘ and witnessed queues outside others (these examples were last Saturday evening).

From visits to ‘random’ pubs over the last couple of weeks, there is still no consistency in how the registration, one-way systems, table/bar service etc is being done. I have visited 1 place on 3 occasions and I have only been asked for ‘test and trace’ details on the 3rd visit. Another one had table service only in the 1st week but is now doing bar service (with perpex screens around the transaction area).
My view is that I will visit a pub and if I don’t like the system they have in place I will go elsewhere. (So far, there is only 1 I have decided not to enter, out of a growing number).
I have not found any of the places I have sampled a pint in so far so to be ’over the top’ to the extent that I would not visit again. A couple have borderline measures, but the choice of ale available was/is the clinching factor.

 

[greyman42]

The Wetherspoons that i visited were all in central London so perhaps there is a regional variation on how they operate.

 

[45107]

Just had two very contrasting experiences for pubs. A day out sampling a couple of Good Beer Guide pubs. (I do not use facebook so rely on other information on t’net).

No.1. Facebook info I could see sort of indicated that the pub was open (There was a back up option if it wasn’t). When I got there, the landlord explained that he was not ‘officially’ open, it was a ‘soft opening’ but as he had some friends in and it was not busy, I was welcome to have a pint (or two).
Very friendly and made to feel welcome. If I am ever in the area again, I will re-visit solely on the friendliness shown.

No.2. Website indicated revised opening hours. No mention of the requirement to pre-book. Denied entry as I had not pre-booked a table. Explained I only wanted a pint (or maybe two), but to no avail. (Found somewhere close by to spend by money).

(Neither of the numbers indicate the order that they were visited nor the number of places used before and after).

 

[trebor79]

Just on my way home from a meal and couple of pints in Norwich.
Meal was very nice (Jive Mexican near the market place). All completely normal aside from hand sanitizer available for use at the entrance, and a token one way system on the narrow staircase. The staff wore plastic gloves when collecting used plates, and there was a strip of cling film on the back of the chairs where you grab them to pull out from the table. Lovely meal.

Couple of pints at a local hostelry. Lecture on the pub rules around covid when we went in, took a couple of minutes. No standing except to order food/drinks, to go the the toilet or to leave the premises. Sat outside, order at the end of the bar and table service. Asked to move inside later "Oh well we're not allowed to do that but OK then".

Meal was fine. Pub less so, but mainly due to the landlady's rather odd manner. Edit, just remember another part of the lecture - if we saw someone we knew we were to wave from a distance and then pretend they didn't exist, and definitely don't join them at their table, because "I can't have tables mixing". Completely and utterly pointless, if we bumped into acquaintances in the street we might very well go to the pub as a group.

One thing that did concern me was I saw a significant minority of people wearing masks walking through the streets, including couple of families with little kids. I really hope we aren't forced into wearing the silly things outdoors.

 

[Huntergreed]

Went out for a beautiful pub meal on Tuesday. Staff were not wearing masks/visors, tables were distanced, no contact details were taken. It felt extremely “old normal”, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Hopefully common sense prevails in the end.

 

[greyman42]

Meal was fine. Pub less so, but mainly due to the landlady's rather odd manner. Edit, just remember another part of the lecture - if we saw someone we knew we were to wave from a distance and then pretend they didn't exist, and definitely don't join them at their table, because "I can't have tables mixing". Completely and utterly pointless, if we bumped into acquaintances in the street we might very well go to the pub as a group.

I'm surprised this pub gets any customers with that attitude.

 

[trebor79]

I'm surprised this pub gets any customers with that attitude.

It was quite busy actually, particularly for a Wednesday evening. Pretty much all the outside tables taken (and there are a lot) and about half the inside. They were doing food too, but the food there is nowt special.
The other thing that was a bit odd was we had to take the drinks off the tray ourselves. Not a problem, but I was puzzled as to the point of it, as presumably the server and bar staff have already touched the glasses?

 

[takno]

It was quite busy actually, particularly for a Wednesday evening. Pretty much all the outside tables taken (and there are a lot) and about half the inside. They were doing food too, but the food there is nowt special.
The other thing that was a bit odd was we had to take the drinks off the tray ourselves. Not a problem, but I was puzzled as to the point of it, as presumably the server and bar staff have already touched the glasses?

That's been the case almost everywhere I've been. The bar staff (who can easily wash hands constantly) put the glasses on the tray, and then the serving staff don't touch them at all

 

[greyman42]

The other thing that was a bit odd was we had to take the drinks off the tray ourselves. Not a problem, but I was puzzled as to the point of it, as presumably the server and bar staff have already touched the glasses?

Yes it is odd but pubs doing table service all seem to adopt this policy.

 

[Huntergreed]

How many pubs out there actually take contact details?

I've been in three in Scotland/England recently and not one took any contact details, I was under the impression this was one of the most important conditions of their reopening?

 

[yorksrob]

How many pubs out there actually take contact details?

I've been in three in Scotland/England recently and not one took any contact details, I was under the impression this was one of the most important conditions of their reopening?

I'd say, of the ones I've been to, about two thirds of them. The others seemed to be enforcing social distancing within the premises.

 

[Richard Scott]

How many pubs out there actually take contact details?

I've been in three in Scotland/England recently and not one took any contact details, I was under the impression this was one of the most important conditions of their reopening?

I went to one in Wales yesterday and they were asking for them.

 

[Jamiescott1]

How many pubs out there actually take contact details?

I've been in three in Scotland/England recently and not one took any contact details, I was under the impression this was one of the most important conditions of their reopening?

I've been in 3 and 2 did. I gave my name as Dominic cummings

 

[Cowley]

I've been in 3 and 2 did. I gave my name as Dominic cummings

Did you drive there?

 

[Howardh]

Straw poll yesterday in the Lakes - on pub was very quiet but had no names/distancing; the other three were all taking names, table service and doing the spray after customers left. Again, no checks to see if the name/number is correct, but I suppose if people don't want to know theyve been near a covid-carrier then that's their toodo.

 

[yorksrob]

I have to say, I'm finding table service in pubs working quite well.

Whilst it will be nice to have the choice to prop up the bar again once the medical crisis abates, I would have no problem with table service continuing as an option !

Had my temperature taken at a pub for the first time today - not sure whether it's more use finding COVID or rooting out people who are 'steaming' drunk !

 

[DelayRepay]

I also like the table service - that was one of the good things about Spoons before this all kicked off. I too hope it stays as an option in some places. cI also like the fact that they are cleaning tables between customers so you don't find it covered in someone else's sticky spilled drink. And I like the fact that every pub toilet I have been in has had soap. That wasn't the case before!

 

[Richard Scott]

Went in one today. Sat inside as had booked a table, no number taken for myself but expect they had one from person booking. Served at table and they required us to remove drinks from tray. Think it was more about distancing than handling. An almost normal experience being in a pub with other people sat around chatting and enjoying themselves and no masks!!! Hooray!!

 

[Journeyman]

I'd say, of the ones I've been to, about two thirds of them. The others seemed to be enforcing social distancing within the premises.

Yeah, if you maintain 2m distance, you don't need to take contact details. My local shopping mall food court has gone down this route - it's a huge space with about three tables in it.