Pub chiefs welcome talk of earlier reopening date

Pub chief executives on Thursday cautiously welcomed signals from the government that sites may be able to reopen sooner than planned.

Companies had been working towards opening pubs, that closed during the lockdown, from July 4. But yesterday the Prime Minister said he hoped the two-metre social distancing rule could be reduced and said the government is working fast to reopen the hospitality sector.

Simon Emeny at Fuller’s said: “This is potentially excellent news.”

He added: “We have thorough health and safety protocols ready to be agreed with Government, and reducing social distancing to one metre will give the sector an opportunity to open successfully and save many jobs.”

Ben Stackhouse at PubLove, which runs sites in London, said: “I’m cautiously delighted.”