Perthshire publicans preparing to be handed a lockdown reprieve may be forced to pull the shutters down again at their venues.
As some leeway was handed to publicans in Perthshire to take a step closer to regular trading this week, hardy residents braved the weekend’s weather to enjoy a libation safely again.
That reprieve could be short-lived with First Minister Nicola Sturgeon considering a national lockdown, depending on the furlough support available.
Perth and Kinross was placed in the same category as Fife and Angus, meaning venues can open indoor for the consumption of food and alcoholic drinks with main meals.
Drink can also be sold in beer gardens until 10.30pm.
Amongst the venues reopening since last week’s announcement was The Malt House, which had shut down when the second hospitality lockdown was announced last month.
Staff at the Princes Street pub have spent their hiatus from pulling pints upgrading the patio, to which drinkers rushed back at the weekend despite Storm Aiden.
The team said it had been a tough few weeks but were delighted to be pulling pints again.
However, not every bar in Perth will be welcoming patrons back immediately.
Management at The Twa Tams say they will be using the next two weeks to carry out refurbishments indoors and out, as well as completing staff training.
Bosses stress they’ll be open next weekend, having had a fully booked bar on Halloween.
Director Sandy Stirton said: “Like the fantastic community we have around us we continue to slog through these hard and uncertain times.
“The current Tier 2 classification means we can continue service of food and drink in our Beer Garden and welcome the return of alcohol service to the interior of the pub. We are delighted in being able to continue the running of the business.
“Due to a decline in trade over the past few months it has been necessary to make a number of changes to our operations including scaling back our opening times.
“Looking forward we have an upcoming change in management and are taking an opportunity to close the pub to retrain staff and do further refurbishment work to the beer garden and interior to ensure the best possible experience for our customers.
“We will temporarily shut the doors on October 31 and look forward to welcoming our customers back on November 13. So make sure to grab a table with us before then.”
