Going out Bristol: What will be different at pubs and restaurants this Christmas and New Year’s Eve

As the Omicron variant spreads across the UK, many hospitality businesses are already counting the cost of the uncertainty it has brought, despite Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s announcement there will be no more restrictions before Christmas.

Owners have already dealt with cancellations in their thousands, no-shows, and a much quieter lead up to Christmas than they would have wanted.

“Just a couple of weeks ago our hospitality sector was booming, bookings were healthy across the city, and the supply chain was fully stocked ready for a busy festive season - fast forward three weeks and the current situation is in stark contrast,” said Carly Heath, night time economy advisor at Bristol City Council.

“We must, of course, all take steps to protect ourselves and each other when the virus is now circulating so rapidly, but we also need to ensure businesses and workers in the city are prioritised in the coming months.

“I’ve been speaking to businesses across the sector, particularly in hospitality, and since the work from home directive was issued, Christmas party bookings have tumbled. There is not a single business unaffected.

“This has serious implications across the city. Fully booked staff rosters are dwindling, and temporary staff, often on low incomes and zero hours contracts, are being relieved of their shifts the week before Christmas.”

Hopefully, news of Rishi Sunak’s pledge for businesses hit by Omicron to get a £1bn bailout should come as a bit of light relief for many of the establishments across Bristol worried about getting through.

But it doesn’t mean it’s all plain sailing, and a lot of those in the hospitality industry will still have to adapt, pivot and react to situations as they arise. And is it too little too late?

Closures

Unfortunately, many of the leaders within Bristol’s food and drink scene have already had to shut up shop and admit defeat.

Last week saw favourite restaurant Sonny’s Stores close in order to put a stop to rising cases and allow their staff the chance of having Christmas.

Commenting on the closure and giving an overall idea of the frustration of the situation, they said: “You’re damned if you do, and you’re damned if you don’t. We are so sorry to be shutting early.”

Many other businesses have since followed suit, including Michelin star restaurant Wilsons, The Gallimaufry on Gloucester Road and Pasta Loco on Cotham Hill, Caper and Cure, Star and Garter, The Arnolfini Bar, and The Old Duke, too.

Diversifying

For places such as Sonny’s Stores, it’s about making the most of what they can offer while everything is so up in the air and the immediate route forward isn’t an obvious one.

As a result, they are prioritising their online shop and encouraging their supporters and neighbours to shop online where you can find products such as hampers, clothes, and gift bags.

Other bricks and mortar establishments are asking that people think of purchasing gift vouchers as gifts for family and friends to use in the new year, as this is a brilliant way of continuing to support the business without them needing to be open or without you needing to attend physically now.

Some of the places doing this are Sonny’s Stores, Flour and Ash on Whiteladies Road, Cargo Cantina on Wapping Wharf, Caper and Cure in Stokes Croft, Bravas, Jamaica St Stores, The Ethicurean, Caribbean Croft and Bianchi’s.

Business as normal

As news continues to spread of closures and cancellations, there are still a lot of Bristol businesses clinging on, though.

The team at Hyde and Co commented: “We know things feel a little uncertain right now, so we wanted to let you know that we’re currently following all of the Government guidelines and will still be open as planned over the Christmas and NYE period.”

And the team at The Pump House on the harbourside posted a similar message, saying: “We would like to start with a huge thank you to everyone supporting us. Despite the current challenges, the heartwarming support we have received and the strength within our heroic team ensures our doors remain open.”

To adapt to the changing circumstances and to customer hesitation, they have promised to have their outside areas open, weather permitting, with heating and cover.

Sam Watts, the marketing director at Propyard, one of Bristol’s newest and largest venues, is one such example of someone ploughing ahead and continuing business as usual.

“Our number one priority at PropYard is keeping our customers and staff safe. To close out the year, we’ve got a really exciting New Year’s Eve line-up planned including a number of acclaimed DJs - and this event will be regulated by the most up to date Covid restrictions,’ he said.

“As such, it will be a huge shame if it doesn’t go ahead as planned.

“Without timely decisions and financial support from the government, this will hugely impact the city’s arts and entertainment industry. The same as all social and nightlife venues, the current atmosphere of uncertainty will play a huge part in customers deciding whether or not to go out.

“Furthermore, if the decision is taken for a circuit breaker lockdown, missing another New Year’s Eve will be very tough on many Bristol businesses.”

But it’s not all just about staying open as the obvious answer, so how are some businesses adapting and remaining positive?

Takeaways only

Larkin Cen, the managing director of Wokyko, tells us how he plans to move to takeaway only in a bid to protect both staff and the public and look ahead to exciting plans for the new year.

He told BristolWorld: “Across all of our four city restaurants we were seeing a drop off in footfall and bookings so we are busy ramping up our delivery service and working on Veganuary ideas for January to add to our menus.

“The safety of our staff and customers is our core priority, so we have taken the decision to close dining-in at all our venues from today. This is a hard decision as we want to serve our customers but we also want to ensure that our teams can have Christmas with their families.

“If people fancy a harbour walk then you can still click and collect our ramen at Cargo and order a Woky fix via Deliveroo and Uber, including New Year’s Eve, which we’re hoping will be one of the busiest days of our year."

Extra offers

It’s clear that a few places across the city have chosen to put extra offers out there in order to both thank those who are supporting them and also to encourage more people to eat out.

Beerd have announced that “due to a crappy few days”, they’d like to spread some cheer with deals such as 50% off pizzas via Uber Eats. The Cider Box on Wapping Wharf are also putting out festive offers in their store from tomorrow through to Friday.

So, if you fancy supporting Bristol’s food and drink scene as much as possible, why not get online and buy some vouchers or head out safely to make the most of the festive offers out there?