Dear Kate,

Table Service in Pubs and Bars

We are writing to urge you to remove the requirement for table service in hospitality, which is causing a very significant problem for many pubs and bars, especially smaller pubs and bars in Scotland and those run by independent publicans.

As the vaccination programme progresses and hospitalisations remain at a low level, it seems a good time to properly (and urgently) review this mandatory requirement, which increases staff costs and makes it difficult or impossible for some pubs and bars to operate viably.

Given all the other measures in place in hospitality it would seem reasonable to allow customers to order and pay at the bar. This is acceptable in cafes, supermarkets and a host of other settings, many of which are much less strictly regulated than hospitality. In a hospitality setting this could be easily managed with masks, screens and queueing systems and would pose no more risk than a member of staff going from table to table taking orders and payments and delivering drinks. Customers need to get up to use the toilets and it seems ridiculous that they can’t take a drink back to their seat when they are walking past the bar…