Hall & Woodhouse (H&W), Dorset’s leading independent family-owned brewer, will begin a phased re-opening of its managed pubs from Tuesday 7 July, after polling the opinions of more than 10,000 of its regular guests.

Guests wishing to visit the pub for drinks and or meals are required to make a telephone or online reservation prior to their visit. To begin with, bookings of no larger than six people will be available, with guests able to book for 90-minute table slots. Table service will be provided in both the restaurant, bar and garden area of the pubs with each table positioned to maintain the recommended two metre social distance.

“We have been working tirelessly to prepare for our re-opening and all team members have undertaken extensive training to learn and feel confident with our adapted ways of working. We have also completed a risk assessment in line with the COVID-19 secure guidelines issued by the government, to consider all aspects of our guests’ safety when choosing to visit us,” explained Matt Kearney, managing director of Hall & Woodhouse. “We decided to re-open our managed pubs in a safe and controlled way for our returning team and guests to prioritise their welfare and not rush our re-opening.

“We surveyed our guests twice during closure to ask what safety measures they would like to see in place when we re-open. We received over 10,000 responses and this feedback helps ensure we deliver the highest levels of hospitality, without compromising on guests’ safety. We will be continually reviewing our safety practices to identify any improvements that can be made as things evolve. We’re excited about being able to do what we love again, and we look forward to welcoming back our guests over the next few weeks.”

All managed pubs will be accepting contactless payment and if people prefer, they can choose to order and pay on their phone. A reduced menu will be in place to allow for appropriate social distancing in the kitchens and one single-use menu will be on each table and then appropriately disposed of.

There will be designated entrances and exits into the pub, with multiple hand sanitising stations throughout for guests’ use. Enhanced and more frequent cleaning will also be actioned throughout the entire building during the day, including restrooms and frequent touch points.

Please visit each individual pub’s website for more information on its re-opening date. Each pub will take bookings seven days prior to re-opening. Please visit www.hall-woodhouse.co.uk for more information.

  Locally scheduled dates for reopening are:

• The Yachtsman, Poole 7 July
• The Crown Hotel, Blandford Forum 8 July
• The Angel Inn, Wimborne 8 July
• The Duchess of Cornwall, Poundbury 9 July
• The Olive Branch, Wimborne 9 July
• The Smuggler’s Inn, Weymouth 14 July
• The Beach House, Milford on Sea 14 July
• The Ship Inn, Weymouth 16 July
• The Monmouth Ash, Verwood 21 July
• The Grasshopper, Poole 21 July
• The Old Granary, Wareham 22 July
• Lulworth Cove Inn, Wareham 29 July
• St Peter’s Finger, Poole 30 July