An introductory note from the owners...
Please click here to view our full Covid-Safe Information (PDF) >>
We hope everyone is well and has managed to find some positive moments during this difficult time. From gardening to baking, exercise or online courses, and of course all the many people who have continued working - we’ve loved hearing how everyone has been getting on for the past few months.
From our side, we have been mostly closed since the government instruction at the end of March, however we kept some hotel bedrooms open for key workers as we wanted to do what little we could for the residents and visitors to York. The demand for this was low (which we saw as a good thing) and so we used the time to complete a lot of refurbishment instead: We concentrated on the public areas, as these have been difficult to tackle when open; and as a result the bar has moved to the far end of the restaurant, and we have a new dedicated reception area for hotel guests. These changes will help us manage social distancing, as we’re sure that some of you might remember the crowding that used to happen when hotel check-in took place at the bar near the door.
We have also launched a takeaway service, and this will continue when the restaurant is open, to hopefully top-up any loss in sales from reducing the number of tables available in our restaurant.
We fully re-opened on Saturday 4th July 2020. Our risk assessments have been made following the government guidance for the different parts of the business. We have used the HSE (Health & Safety Executive) template, which we didn’t feel went in to enough detail for our dynamic business, so we also have also created detailed “guest journeys” for hotel stays and restaurant visits, with step-by-step procedures for every moment of time from guest arrival to departure. These have formed the basis of our staff training.
Chris and I feel strongly that a huge part of what we offer is the service. We are really keen that this part of what makes us special should not be heavily impacted by the extra measures that we have put in place to ensure that we are Covid-safe. Our risk assessment is detailed, but at its core is the fact that WE will worry about cleanliness, safety, social distancing, and everything else that matters in these strange times. If you choose to visit us, you deserve to enjoy yourself, and we still want to offer a great meal out, or a fantastic stay, just like we did before Covid-19. Things might take a little more time, as we have doubled our (already pretty robust) cleaning measures, and of course we now wash or sanitise our hands after touching every single item that we make or serve to you, but that just gives you more time to relax and enjoy the experience!
We really do hope to see you soon! From Chris & Bex x
Please click here to view our full Covid-Safe Information (PDF) >>
