Government guidance released for safe takeaway operations

According to the measures, continued social distancing is paramount, with businesses encouraged to reduce the contact between kitchen, front of house and delivery workers, and to ask customers to wait in their car where possible.

Increased hygiene practices are expected, including hand washing and surface cleaning; and businesses are urged to make regular announcements reminding customers to do the same.

Laminated menus must also be cleaned regularly; paper menus should be disposed of after a single use; and contactless payment should be encouraged where possible.

Whilst the guidance doesn't include any advice on how eat-in operations may look once lockdown is eased, trade body UKHospitality has said it intends to publish a series of protocols in the near future aimed at supporting the individual hospitality sub-sectors achieve a safe reopening.

UKHospitality says it has worked with its own members, and others, to draw up the guidance for a variety of hospitality venues, and will share the documents with sector stakeholders for further development.

Whilst they are not intended to replace individual reopening plans, it is hoped that the guidance will inform the Government’s own plans for hospitality re-openings when they look develop them.

“The size and diversity of the hospitality sector means that there is no one-size-fits-all approach to reopening,” says Kate Nicholls, UK Hospitality CEO.

“Across our industry there are many sub-sectors and widely different businesses models.

“The protocols do not provide bespoke plans for individual businesses to operate under social distancing guidelines, these will have to be devised by businesses on a site-by-site basis. But the protocols help businesses draw up those plans and ensure that safety is at the forefront of operations when the time comes to reopen.”