Worksop traders say outdoor hospitality in April is “unviable”

Susan Hale, owner of town centre bar and restaurant La Roca for four years, told how she only had permission for six seats outside - meaning she would have book people in for time slots.

She said: “To have six people outside we would have to be rushing people - when people come to a restaurant they don’t want to feel rushed.

“How many pubs in Worksop have beer gardens apart from the big operators at the top end of town? Not many are going to be able to open.”

Restaurateur Susan - who was flooded in November 2019 four months before the pandemic struck - adapted by starting an ecommerce site for Grafton Fine Ales - the award-winning brewery she runs with husband Richard.

She described how, ironically, the couple had grown the business during lockdown through online sales after taking over its running from her father John Allcroft 18 months ago.

Now she is pinning all hopes on reopening in May when indoor service is allowed - however she admitted a more cautious reopening by the Government was “sensible”.

She said: “The worst thing would be to have to close again - it’s so soul-destroying having to cancel bookings and losing stock.

“We’ve had to fight tooth and nail to keep going and coming out of this will be like a new dawn.

“It will be good to hear other people’s stories of survival as well - although even in June if they do lift all the restrictions not everyone will come out straight away.

“Lots of people still won’t be vaccinated.”

Karen Woods and husband Andrew own Worksop’s Station Hotel as well as the Shireoaks Inn.

They hope outdoor drinking in April will allow them to turn a profit once more at the Station as they prepare to open a covered and heated area outside in the pub’s large beer garden.

However the Shireoaks can only realistically seat six people while adhering to social distancing rules.

The pair hope the Westgate pub will recover from a year of slump when some form of indoor trade is allowed in May.

Karen said: “We’d be totally dependant on the weather at the Shireoaks and we certainly wouldn’t be able to bring our staff back from furlough - it would just be me and my husband.

“We could only open for a few hours a day and see it goes - not many people will want to sit outside at 10pm.

“The best we can really hope for in April at the Shireoaks is our steady regulars in the early evenings.

“Last April it was beautiful but do we get two years on the trot? We’re hoping for some sort of return to normality in May.”

Karen, who has run the Shireoaks since she and Andrew took it over from his parents 18 years ago, told how they had “just about” survived on Government financial backing during the pandemic.

However she added: “We couldn't have gone on for many more months.”

In these confusing and worrying times, local journalism is more vital than ever. Thanks to everyone who helps us ask the questions that matter by taking out a subscription or buying a paper. We stand together. Nancy Fielder, editor.