Lockdown 2.0: What are the implications for indie restaurants (and their workers?)
+ A history of soy milk, the foodborne risks of Coronavirus, and potato-themed travel
Nice Pear: a weekly(ish) feminist foodletter | Issue #011 | 01 November September 2020
Hello!
It’s been quite the week, hasn’t it?
If you missed the UK news: Late last week Tier 3 restrictions were announced for more parts of the North (including my home city Leeds), due to commence on Monday.
Then, late on Friday night, The Times reported that Johnson was planning a full national lockdown (of course, as has become customary in England, this was reported before the Prime Minister addressed the nation - giving the government time to gauge public sentiment before laying out any firm plans).
After some delays, Saturday finally saw a press conference from No. 10, announcing the new lockdown measures, to commence 5th November.
So, what does this mean for the UK’s food scene?*
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Photo by Polina Tankilevitch from Pexels
What does lockdown 2.0 mean for independent restaurants, food businesses and hospitality workers?
From November 5th, England will be back in full lockdown for at least 28 days. That means that people are required to stay home and not gather with others outside their household, with non-essential’ businesses and venues to close. You can see the full rules here.
Restaurants and other venues have been reopened in the UK since 4th July, with the population encouraged to dine outside the home with August’s eat-out-to-help-out scheme.
Restaurants have had huge expenditure putting precautions in place to better protect staff and patrons, and many have been stretched to the limit, with reduced seating alongside rising food costs, while overheads and staffing levels have had to remain largely the same.
So, what does Lockdown 2.0 mean for the UK’s food scene?*
Restaurant operations
Just like during the first lockdown, bars, restaurants and pubs must now close to the public, but can operate takeaway and delivery (though not of alcohol).
Any independent shops selling essentials like food and medicine may remain open, and non-essential shops can still operate customer delivery and click-and-collect services.
Shopping for “basic necessities” should be done as infrequently as possible.
If we want indie shops and restaurants to still be available on our high streets when we can visit them again (and if we want to support local businesses owners and workers), continuing to shop local and independent where possible (including online) is the best way to help make that happen.
Safety measures like handwashing, face masks and physical distancing should still be followed when you do visit indoor spaces like shops - even if that’s only to pick up an order.
Businesses forced to close the premesis (like bars and restaurants) may also be bable to claim “up to £3,000 per month under the Local Restrictions Support Grant”, to help cover overheads like rent, rates and utilities that likely won’t ease up during the new lockdown.
Hospitality workers
With the forced closure of restaurants, bars, pubs, non-essential retail, as well as leisure and hospitality venues, and hotels (aside from essential business travel), the UK government has to step in with support to maintain employment.
The first furlough scheme has been steadily scaling back since March, and was due to officially ended on Saturday, to be replaced by the Job Support Scheme, which saw many laid off as businesses could not continue to employ staff they couldn’t use.
It remains unclear whether employers will be able to rehire and furlough staff laid off due to the proposed end of the scheme, as they were encouraged to in March.
With the new lockdown, the furlough scheme has been reinstated as it was from April to August, with employers paying only NI and pension, and Government paying 80% of salaries.
Businesses are still able to bring employees back to work part-time, alongside furlough. This may be particularly useful for restaurants who still need some staff to run takeaway operations, but not as many as they would need to run table service.
Up until now, workers had to be employed on 19 March to be eligible for the furlough scheme, but the extension will apply for all employees on the payroll by 30th October - even if they haven’t been furloughed before.
Hopefully, this means that unlike earlier in the year, people newly employed since the start of the pandemic will now be eligible for the furlough scheme when businesses close this month.
Christmas
Lockdown 2.0 is set to end on 2nd December, when festive trade is normally already in full swing. Between gift-shopping and Christmas parties, hospitality and retail businesses normally have their busiest - and most lucrative - period during December.
For many people though, disposable income has dwindled, and uncertainty over a ‘double-dip’ recession has put extra spending on hold. Equally, restrictions and safety fears around gatherings mean that, even if venues can open in December, party season trade can’t possibly match previous years. Even with some government support, closures at what should be the busiest time of year will likely spell the end for many independent retailers and venues.
Many believe that this extended period of lockdown could have been avoided, had the government put a circuit-breaker lockdown in place weeks ago, but here we are. Whatever happens, Christmas is going to be a different affair this year.
I don’t know how to end this newsletter on a hopeful note. Stay safe, shop local and hold out for 2021. We’ve got this.
*The information in this newsletter was true to my knowledge at the time of writing, but we’ve all seen how quickly things can change, so please do double-check any dates/figures/rules I have mentioned before basing decisions on them! For reference, I’ve found much of the details in this issue on Gov.uk, The BBC, The Guardian, and Which?.
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Things to read this week
Despite its dip in popularity in recent years, soy milk is still my preferred dairy-alternative*, so Serious Eats’ history of the maligned beverage made for an interesting read.
*Except in coffee, where soy milk tends to split or curdle, oat milk is preferable.
Anyone else still washing their groceries before putting them away? New research is underway to discover more about the foodborne risks of Coronavirus, including “how long the coronavirus that causes Covid-19 can live on food surfaces and packages, how it responds to different sanitizers, and its likelihood of survival as it travels along the food chain.”
For all the people romanticising ‘wartime Britain’ and the ‘blitz spirit’, look no further than memories of rationing-induced mock banana (which I’m sure, being made from boiled parsnips, tasted just as disgusting as they sound) to put that idea behind you.
I’ve said for years that Madhur Jaffrey (lovingly shorthanded to ‘MadJaff’ in recipe-swapping conversations amongst my mother and aunties) was the mother of flavoursome vegetarian food in the west. Alicia Kennedy’s short profile of her in Tenderly is a delight.
For American readers (and really, anyone concerned about the outcome of November 3rd): BA’s Vote If You Love Food series: “food is one of the most tangible representations of many major political challenges in our lifetime.”
Fellw food photography enthusiasts: This history of the genre of perfect food photos is for you.
My kind of travel content 🥔
Things to eat this week
On Sunday I baked gluten-free bread (from a packet) & honestly it was the highlight of my week.
Also from my kitchen: An easy creamy vegan pasta. More banana bread. All the stew.
Where to find me this week
Talking about my useless ears in Well+Good.
As always, you can find me @ZoePickburn on Twiter, Instagram, and other social media.
Thanks!
Zoe
Freelance writer & journo | Food blogger & newsletterer (she/her)
Say hello@zoepickburn.com with stories, commissions & foodie chit chat