The return of al fresco dining and a pint in a beer garden marks the end of a very long winter for the 海角视频’s cafes, restaurants and pubs.
Many have been getting creative with their outdoor spaces, simplifying menus and shifting opening times to make the most of the warmer times of day.
But it has not been an easy decision for business owners who have had to weigh up whether they will be able to make any money on the fewer customers they will be able to serve.
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Robin Hutson, founder of the PIG Hotel group will be opening the hotel’s outside eating areas alongside its self-catered accommodation but cannot yet welcome guests to stay in the hotels themselves.
"I've quit moaning now," he said after earlier publicly questioning the sense in keeping hotels closed until May 17 at the earliest.
“However, I can’t quite get the rationale of keeping hotels closed when I think there’s more chance of catching it in an education setting or on public transport. I do think we have been unjustly targeted.
“But it is what it is and hopefully, with the vaccine roll out, we have a different set of circumstances now.”
He said that opening up an entire hotel and grounds to welcome guests for outside dining is no easy task. There are so many different aspects to it, we have to be careful about our customer experience and bringing all the staff back to work again who will have to find their feet again.”
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“Inevitably they will be rusty but this is a good way of easing people back in before the hotels open fully in May.”
Here we list some great places throughout the South West to eat and drink in the great outdoors from April 12.
Ring Of Bells Inn, North Bovey, Devon
The country pub has a sheltered beer garden in a stunning tucked away village on Dartmoor.
Landlord Richard Edlmann has restored the 13th century thatched inn after a devastating fire in 2016. Since then, it has built a reputation as one of Devon’s foremost foodie destinations and has a good local trade alongside the busy tourist season with visitors to Dartmoor.
Richard said: “The lockdown hasn’t been as hard as the aftermath of the fire because we’ve not had to put the building back together again but it certainly has been interesting.”
He said that he has kept a core staff on furlough and the outside service from April 12 is the first tentative step to re-opening. The Inn also has five rooms which cannot be occupied until May 17.
"We have to put the financials aside at this point and think about the longer term. We are using this as the first stage of re-opening and getting the business up and running again.”
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“On the whole, I do think that opening up as the weather gets warmer is the right thing to do, considering that we saw transmission rates go down last summer but the last thing we want is another lockdown. At the same time, there is pent-up demand because people are desperate to get out, we are social creatures and we need that human contact.
“For us, the main reason for opening is to get our confidence back and for our customers to get their confidence back. There is still a degree of nervousness out there, I think.”
He said that initiatives like last year’s Eat Out to Help Out Scheme had been successful with fewer customers tending to spend more at each sitting.
And he said that the Government’s furlough, business rate and VAT relief had been helpful. But many businesses were now facing repayments in an uncertain trading environment.
“I do think there will be some fall out with businesses closing in the next 12-24 months.”
The Swan Inn, Winscombe, North Somerset
The 17th century Grade II-listed pub and inn is located in Rowberrow on the edge of the Mendip Hills in an area of outstanding natural beauty.
It has a large beer garden with plenty of seating and a new purpose-built covered and heated pergola – perfect for those long-awaited catch ups with friends and family.
Tables are available for up to six guests and bookings need to be made online through the website.
Pier Master's House, Plymouth
Fancy new restaurant the Pier Master's House, on Plymouth’s waterfront, is set to reopen. The venue, which underwent a stunning transformation by architectural designer Alec Macleod in summer 2020, will reopen on Monday, April 12.
Staff said: "In line with the government roadmap we will be re opening on the April 12. Weather permitting our outside pier will be open once more.
"A few improvements have been made since we last saw you. We have some new plant friends and snazzy new umbrellas. Our online booking system is live, we recommend booking where possible as we envision being very busy. There will still be tables reserved for walk-ins, please be advised these will be on a first-come first-served basis."
The George & Dragon, Rowde, Wiltshire
Once a 16th century coaching inn, The George & Dragon is located in the historic village of Rowde, near Devizes.
The pub and restaurant will be opening its doors again on Monday, April 12, offering drinks and outside dining in its terrace and garden.
The venue, which is run by Christopher 'Chippy' Day and chef Tom Bryant, specialises in sea food dishes, which are delivered daily from St Mawes in Cornwall. It also has an extensive world wine list including organic vintages.
The garden has a wood-burning stove and blankets will be available for chillier days.
The Fox’s Revenge, Summercourt, Cornwall
A popular Cornish pub will accommodate diners and drinkers in a huge tipi when it reopens on Monday, April 12. The Fox’s Revenge at Summercourt, between Truro and Newquay, has transformed its garden with an 80-person tipi to adhere to outdoor dining lockdown rules which come into force next week.
Chef Ben Ambridge has created a dedicated barbecue menu for the summer, including his twist on roast dinner, cooked over fire. The Fox’s Revenge opened under the new ownership of Ben and his partner Evie in February 2020, only a month before the first lockdown shut its doors.
The couple made the decision to invest in their garden space, pre-empting the longstanding effects of the coronavirus. They said the tipi structure gives the pub’s customers a cosy and protected environment to eat and drink in, while following government regulations on outdoor dining and social distancing.
The PIG at Harlyn Bay, Cornwall, PIG at Coombe, Devon, PIG on the beach Dorset and PIG near Bath, Somerset
The boutique hotel chain is opening for al fresco dining at all of its sites for the Big Outdoor Lunch and tables are being booked up fast.
PIG founder Robin Hutson said: “The concept has gone down very well and people are desperate to get out.”
In fact, the lockdown closures mean that all of the hotels are pretty much booked out this year with bookings behind honoured from last year and the first quarter of this year.
Mr Hutson said: “I do think that there will be a staycation trend but the proof will be next year and whether people will ditch their holiday to Malaga to stay at home instead.”
And he said that while vaccine passports could well be implemented for foreign travel he does not think it’s practical for hoteliers and publicans to enforce the rules.
He said: “We want to be welcoming for all and it’s just not fair or practical for us to turn away guests because one in the party, say your 94 year-old grandpa has forgotten to bring proof of vaccination”
Latest on the lockdown road map
The Ostrich, Bristol
Perched on Bristol’s bustling harbourside, The Ostrich underwent extensive renovations last year including making a number of alfresco improvements.
The pub has outside tables (available on a first-come-first served basis) deck chairs, heated tipis and covered areas.
Mike Roscoe, general manager, said: “We’re itching to show off our harbourside garden. The Ostrich really does come alive when it’s full of happy punters so we’ve been incredibly busy creating lots of spaces for them to gather safely. The outside space is looking incredible.”
It does not take advanced bookings.
Barbican Botanics Gin Room, Plymouth
Staff at Plymouth’s Barbican Botanics confirmed the outdoor area at their New Street premises will reopen from Tuesday, April 13.
In a post on social media, staff wrote: "Wooooo! We will be opening our doors again on Tuesday 13 for all you beautiful people to grab a gin and sit on our garden."
The venue launched its cosy heated garden booths in October 2021 so customers could enjoy a drink outside in a "safe and socially-distanced space". The booths were immediately popular and are set to be popular again this year.
The Lamb at Hindon, Wiltshire
This historic country pub is now taking outdoor bookings. The venue has a large summer terrace and will be offering alfresco dining as well as drinks.
“Time to celebrate the return of the Great British pub. Join us from April 12 as we raise a glass to being back together,” the pub wrote on Twitter.
The venue is also taking accommodation reservations for its boutique bedrooms, which will be reopening on May 17.
The Old Thatch, Wimborne, Dorset
The 17th century country pub, in the heart of Dorset, is reopening for outdoor dining on Monday, serving a wide selection of local ales and classic pub dishes.
Last month, the Bournemouth Echo reported that landlord Nick Pestana, who has been at the helm since 2018, and award-winning restaurateur Andy Lennox, are planning to go into partnership to transform the venue into a gastro pub and kitchen with a country store.
It will reportedly sell fresh bread and cakes, local meat, eggs and dairy products, and household essentials.
The pub is taking online and phone bookings ahead of reopening.
The Exmouth Arms, Cheltenham
Located on Bath Road, The Exmouth Arms is set to open on Monday from 10am. The pub was popular with regulars in the summer due to its large outdoor seating area and serving up pizzas in its very own outdoor oven.
It will be encouraging guests to use the Track and Trace programme, one-way systems when indoors and ordering via table service.
Do you have a favourite outdoor dining spot to recommend? Let us know in the comments section below