27,000 pubs with beer gardens should be first to reopen ‘as soon as possible’, industry’s trade body says

Pubs with beer gardens and terraces should be among the first to reopen once the coronavirus lockdown is eased, the UK’s leading representative body for pubs and brewers has suggested.

The roughly 27,000 pubs with outdoor areas should be best placed to meet the social distancing restrictions required for reopening from 4 July, the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA) said on Thursday.

“We want to explore all opportunities for our nation’s pubs to reopen safely and viably as soon as is possible,” said BBPA chief executive Emma McClarkin.

The BBPA is working with the government to consider “all the possible options for reopening pubs as soon as we can”, Ms McClarkin said.

As part of phase three of the “roadmap” out of lockdown, pubs – alongside cafes and restaurants – could reopen as early as 4 July, foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said.

It had previously been suggested that pubs would be excluded from the plan, which was, in any case, “subject to further scientific advice” and coronavirus cases continuing to fall.

Ms McClarkin warned that it would be impossible for many pubs to reopen unless the current social distancing rules are adapted.

“It must be recognised that no two pubs are the same and for many, ensuring a distance of 2m will be impossible, keeping them closed for much longer,” Ms McClarkin said.

“Actioning advice from the World Health Organisation, for example, to use 1m for social distancing from July would enable many more pubs to viably reopen and serve their communities again.”​

The current 2m rule “could lead to many bankruptcies”, said Andy Wood, chief executive of Suffolk-based brewery Adnams, adding that any changes “cannot be at the expense of the safety of customers, of communities and staff”.

Amid the threat of significant numbers of permanent closures, the hospitality industry is pushing to return to business “when the time is right”.

On Wednesday, the trade association UKHospitality and other industry leaders sent ministers a 75-page blueprint for what a safe reopening of pubs, bars restaurants and hotels could look like.

The optimistic suggestions included “discouraging” customers from returning empty glasses and advising them to stay a safe distance away from bar staff.

Queues to buy drinks should be socially distanced, marked by tape on the floor, and patrons could be told not to stay at the bar once they have ordered. Pub gardens could also be patrolled to prevent big groups from congregating.

There has also been speculation that the government is mulling plans to give more flexibility for pubs, restaurants and bars to use other outside space, including pavements.

In a bid to lessen the impact of lockdown, increasing numbers of pubs have been running off-licence services, with some even delivering to customers’ homes.