The levels of excitement are building.
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll know by now that pubs and restaurants with outdoor service are preparing to reopen on Monday (April 12).
While the weather might not quite be cutting it at the moment (that mini-heatwave last week seems a long time ago now), the thought of having a pint in the sun with a bowl of chips is probably getting most of us through the week.
Read more: England’s Roadmap Out Of Lockdown Has Been Revealed, And Here’s What You Need To Know
But, whatever the weather, some places are even preparing to make the first service in the pitch black hours of midnight. Yes, a handful of places in London with 24-hour booze licenses are planning to waste no time on Monday, and are readying up to start pouring pints as soon as the clocks strike twelve.
It’s estimated that around 15,000 pubs across England will reopen for outside drinks in beer gardens, patios, car parks and al fresco dining spots next week in a bid to kickstart hospitality safely.
Those with 24-hour licenses are able to make the most of every minute they have available. The Kentish Belle in Bexleyheath, for example, announced online that the pints would start flowing from 12.01am on April 12, until 3am. They confirmed that seats would still need to be booked for these hours.
REOPENING WEEK HOURS:
– Mon 12th 0001-0300 / 1300-2200
– Tue 13th 1500-2200
– Wed 14th 1500-2200
– Thu 15th 1200-2300
– Fri 16th 1200-2300
– Sat 17th 1200-2300
– Sun 18th 1400-1800TWO seats left for 0001-0300 on Monday 12th. Come on, fill her up for us! pic.twitter.com/McBpCnxrkV
— The Kentish Belle (@thekentishbelle) April 6, 2021
With over 40% of pubs able to open in some form by next week, it is thought that around 15 million sorely-missed pints will be consumed over the first seven days!
Remember, drinkers must abide by the rule-of-six when meeting friends at the pub, as you would in outdoor meetups that have been permitted since March 29.
Be sure to wrap up warm if you head to a late-night at 12-on-the-dot; we aren’t quite enjoying the summer heat yet!