Shropshire family-run pub turns takeaway during coronavirus closure
A Shropshire village family-run pub has secured jobs for all of its full-time staff and made the switch to offering takeaway food during the coronavirus shutdown.
Like all pubs, the Bull's Head Inn in Chelmarsh was told to close its doors to customers by the Prime Minister, but owner John King was determined to protect the future of the business he has owned with his wife Norma for 14 years.
With dining off the menu, the kitchen quickly switched to a takeaway, delivering more than 40 roast dinners to the homes of loyal locals on Mother's Day.
And John moved to secure jobs for his eight full-time staff, who all live nearby, by collaborating with his relationship manager at Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking.
Relationship manager Mark Meakin helped John navigate the Government support available to the business, as well as providing a package of support including an overdraft extension and loan repayment holiday for at least six months, and longer if needed.
John said: "It means we've been able to tell our full-time staff that we'll be paying them for their normal weekly hours while the pub is closed.
"They are all so relieved that they can meet their commitments and pay their mortgages and rent.
"Lloyds Bank has been very helpful in helping us to understand all the different elements of support that the government is offering in guarantees and grants, keeping us up to date on what's available and how we access it.
"Our relationship manager Mark has been superb. He started working right away to pull a support package together for us.
"At 9pm on Saturday night he contacted me to say he'd submitted the package to Lloyds Bank credit committee and by 9am on Sunday morning it had been approved, which was incredible.
"We're a small rural business, employing local people and we just want to make sure they all still have jobs at the end of this torrid situation, so we're very grateful for the speed and professionalism of the team at Lloyds Bank."
Now the Bull's Head Inn, which also offers B&B and self-catering accommodation, has come up with new takeaway menu of country pub classics, like steak and ale pie.
Mark Meakin, relationship manager for Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking, said: "These really are unprecedented times for business and the hospitality industry is particularly vulnerable, given the government's advice for people to stay at home.
"It's important that we all work together to get through this and help healthy businesses survive.
"Employers like John want to stand by their workers, and we'll do whatever we can to help them do that."
