Businesses hope for brighter times ahead as hospitality sector re-emerges from lockdown gloom

Pubs, restaurants, museums and cinemas are just a few of the businesses hoping to emerge successfully from a nightmare year.

Social distancing and masks will still be in use as warnings continue about the rise of the Indian variant.

Businesses hope, however, that they can finally plan for the long term as vaccines protect the population and allow society to return and rebuild.

Charlie Farman, marketing assistant at Cleobury Mortimer-based Hobsons Brewery, which distributes its beer to pubs across Shropshire and Mid Wales, described today as a “welcome step forward”.

She said: “Indoor hospitality being able to resume is a big boost for everyone in the brewing industry. We have seen first hand the difficulties some of our pub, restaurant and bar customers have faced since March 2020.

“We hope this time reopening phases don’t regress and we continue to move forward in terms of easing as the Government deems safe and appropriate.

“As a brewery, we have been upping our brewing schedule over the last few weeks to ensure we can meet demand when indoor trade reopens. We now feel confident enough to make more of our cask beers available, with more pubs able to trade who are in need of a great choice of product to give their customers the best experience.

“We are thrilled that the majority of pubs can reopen from today and wish them a positive and busy first week back.

“Hobsons Brewery’s future heavily relies on trade customers needing beer; we are doing everything we can to support them by brewing more regularly and expanding the choice we offer.”

Paul Davies, the chief executive of the Marston’s Brewing Company, which is based in the West Midlands and distributes throughout Shropshire, said that being able to welcome customers indoors again marked a positive turning point for British pubs and brewers.

He said: “We’re asking everyone to support their local pubs, restaurants and venues as much as possible.

“We’re also calling on the UK Government to ensure their support for the industry continues.

“Even though we’re on the path to recovery, it’s critical that measures, such as reduced VAT, remain in place and hospitality continues to receive the support it needs.

“We’re not out of the woods yet and, despite the prospect of a successful safe summer, we all need to support our much loved local pubs and brewers.”

Richard Sheehan, chief executive of Shropshire Chamber of Commerce, said today marked a positive milestone for businesses of all sizes in the region.

He added: “It’s exciting for business owners, employees and consumers.

“Businesses have invested massively in ensuring they are compliant with Covid regulations and protect customers and staff, and this is reward for their hard work and investment.

“The further easing of Covid regulations, allowing more businesses to reopen, will go towards helping kickstart the economic recovery.”

Neil Anderson, head of external affairs at the Black Country Chamber, which covers much of the urban West Midlands, said that businesses across the region would be “hugely relieved” to be able to reopen or restart more of their operations from today. He said: “The last few months have seen many firms either severely restricted in their activities – or unable to trade at all.”