‘After the famine comes the feast’ – Pubs and clubs react to Covid rules easing

From Monday, table service and physical distancing measures are no longer required in venues serving alcohol.

Customers can now enjoy a pint at the bar as Covid restrictions have eased for the hospitality sector in Scotland (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Archive)

Hospitality bosses and punters have welcomed back the further easing of restrictions for pubs, bars and clubs across Scotland.

As Omicron cases peaked over the festive period, the industry’s busiest time of the year, nightclubs were forced to close and table service and physical distancing measures were back in place for venues serving alcohol from December 27.

But from Monday, that all changed.

Nightclubs are now able to welcome back revellers after almost a month of being closed, and pub-goers are welcome to take a seat at the bar to enjoy a pint as table service is no longer required.

Customers drink at the bar in the No1 High Street pub on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile (Jane Barlow/PA) (PA Wire)

Physical distancing measures between tables and the advice for customers to only meet in groups containing three households or fewer have also been scrapped.

Nick Stewart, manager at Sneaky Pete’s, a nightclub in the Scottish capital, welcomed the easing of restrictions.

“We are just really excited to get back to it,” he said.

“Audiences are absolutely aching to get back to live music and clubbing.”

Mr Stewart said the club is reopening on Monday night with live music and a sold-out club show.

He added: “We have a nearly sold-out week coming up, and beyond that we have so many world class shows coming up booked well into the autumn.

“After the famine comes a feast.

“Musicians and DJs tell me all the time that Scottish crowds are the best in the world, so let’s get right back into it.”

Sitting at the bar with a pint in The Windsor in Leith, customer and fellow bartender Lorraine Moore said Monday’s easing of restrictions brought back a sense of normality.

“It’s been about two years since I last sat at a bar,” she said, “and it feels good to be back.”

Ms Moore, who works at the Orchard Bar in Edinburgh, added: “It’s still early days.

“Some pubs and bars are still a bit quiet and haven’t put their stools out yet, but with restrictions easing I think that will start to change.”

For Michael Johnstone, founder of Walkie Talky Brewing Co and bar tender at The Vaults in Leith, the further easing of restrictions in venues will “ease the pain” for bar staff.

“Restrictions easing does make you hopeful, although also a little nervous in times of Covid ” he said.

“But for someone who works behind a bar, it makes things much easier with staffing.

“Everyone is hurting a little at the moment, so being able to go back to pub-style service, away from table service and allowing a couple more folks to come in through the door eases our pain a bit.”

As a business owner, he said the latest scrapping of some Covid rules has been “a welcome change.”

“In an already down month in January, and to have the restrictions on top of that, it’s been tough to sell beer in and around Edinburgh and Glasgow,” he said.

“Just trying to get Walkie Talky’s name out there as a start up brewery has been tough to begin with, but especially having released a new beer back in December when restrictions were brought back in.

“Having the restrictions lifted a little bit helps, and hopefully over the next few weeks more and more pubs will be looking to fill their cellars.”

Mr Johnstone, who is originally from the US and now lives in Leith, added: “On a personal level, it’s been great being able to go to some local matches to see some football.

“I am trying to live my best Scottish life, and it definitely helps with the restrictions lifting.”

Mike Grieve, chairman of Night Time Industry Association Scotland, said the removal of restrictions have been welcomed by the sector as a whole.

But he urged the Scottish Government to remove the remaining rules in place to help the sector recover as quickly as possible.

“We now need to see a clear and urgent path towards the removal of the remaining baseline measures and in particular the Covid Passport scheme which is so debilitating for businesses which have already endured the worst impact of the restrictions over the last two years,” he said.

Mr Grieve added: “The financial support already promised and allocated must reach businesses right away as it is impossible for employers to continue paying their staff indefinitely with literally no income.

“The financial damage caused by the closure of previously vibrant businesses and the impact this has had on the Night Time Economy and the eco system it supports cannot be overstated.

“These important cultural and economically vital businesses employ over 30,000 people in Scotland, and most remain in a very precarious situation with huge levels of debt incurred during the pandemic.

“It is vital that every available bit of support is afforded to help the sector recover as we move out of winter and hopefully leave Omicron behind, and the removal of remaining restrictions on premises must be prioritised by Scottish Government.”

Paul Togneri, of Scottish Beer & Pub Association, said the latest easing of Covid rules in the hospitality sector is “definitely a step forward”.

But he said the industry is still waiting for the Scottish Government to publish its updated Strategic Framework, which “will hopefully pave the way for the removal of remaining restrictions”.

Mr Togneri added: “The key thing now is rebuilding consumer confidence, ensuring customers feel safe when they visit, and kickstarting the recovery for everyone in the industry.”

A Scottish Government spokesperson said First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is due to give an update on Covid restrictions in a statement in Parliament on Tuesday.