Matt MacPherson of the Malt Room in Inverness argues that there is no justification for closing bars and restaurants early
Matt MacPherson of the Malt Room in Inverness. Image: Callum Mackay
I think we are very fortunate to live in the highlands and that has never been as true as it was last year. I really sympathize with those in crowded cities who haven’t had the luxury of space that we often take for granted.
What does this have to do with whiskey? Well, actually nothing. I’m just very confused that on the news all over England people are enjoying drinks while the Scottish hospitality sector remains forcibly closed.
There was a lot to navigate in terms of data so I’ll give you a quick rundown of the challenges facing the Scottish hospitality industry.
April 26: Pubs, cafes, restaurants and bars can serve people outdoors until 10 p.m. – in groups of up to six people from six households. Alcohol is allowed and no food is required to be served. There will also be a partial resumption of indoor hospitality – food and soft drinks can be served until 8 p.m. for groups of up to four people from no more than two households.
May 17: Indoor hospitality is expected to resume with alcohol and pubs or restaurants open until 10:30 p.m.
June 1st: Hospitality can stay open until 11 p.m.
Where should I start? Firstly, it doesn’t work for any bar or restaurant to open indoor hospitality but only until 8pm, and not serve alcohol, so the majority of us fall behind by May 17th. Fast forward to May and venues are open.But you can only come in for two hours and have to go home by 10.30pm – but don’t worry, June is just around the corner and all restrictions should be in the past, with the exception of bars and restaurants – You have to close at 11pm.
The 10pm curfew was a complete failure the first time. We all saw the scenes on the news of crowded streets and public transports full of punters pounded in like sardines. We witnessed it first hand when customers who were safely enjoying their evening were forced to leave the premises at 10 p.m. in a controlled environment with appropriate security measures.
You could have mistaken Church Street at 10pm for a stag do in Ibiza. There were people singing, dancing in the street, hugging and taking things for the inevitable house party. It has been a complete bottleneck and all the hard work the venues have done to keep people apart in a completely pointless way.
What would i do It’s just like in England, no curfew. In the course of the evening, of course, people filter home. The majority of people will stay outside until 10 p.m., but they won’t stay outside until 3 a.m. There are loads of people bringing food and taxis home from 10pm until the wee hours of the morning. Why should every single person who enjoys and supports the hospitality sector be displaced in large numbers at the same time?
What evidence does the Scottish government base this curfew on? Believe me, I’ve been looking for the numbers or the rationale for it and it just isn’t there.
To those lucky enough to open their doors again in the coming weeks, I wish them the best of luck.
The unfortunate reality is that the financial support is ceasing and the venues are expected to survive while under nonsensical hours of operation.
Who was responsible for this so-called roadmap should be breathless.