Beautiful Virgin Islands

Thursday, Feb 19, 2026

Pub landlords find way around lockdown as Brits drink takeaway pints al fresco

Britain’s boozers aren’t officially due to re-open until July at the earliest, but landlords have found ways to serve cold pints during the lockdown.
All bars, clubs and restaurants were ordered on March 20 to close for the foreseeable future as the Government tried to contain the spread of coronavirus. But as the weather is getting hotter and emergency measures are gradually eased, pubs have been serving drinks on the go for people to enjoy al fresco.

Staff at the Althorp pub, in Wandsworth, London, were seen wearing gloves and protective visors as they carried drinks on trays to thirsty putners. Customers took their drinks onto the nearby common as they soaked up the sun.

Visitors on Brighton beach were seen carrying beer in plastic cups as Britain was blessed with 28°C earlier this week. Among those taking advantage of this loophole was actor Laurence Fox, who was spotted sipping a pint in London’s Primrose Hill on Monday.

As people head to parks and beaches for a cold one with their pals, concerns have been raised about whether social distancing can be easily followed.

One drinker on Brighton’s seafront told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: ‘I know we’re down here drinking beer so it looks like we’re saying what’s good for us is not good for everyone else, but if we carry on the way we’re going I think we’re going to have a major lockdown in two weeks, the way that we let the restrictions up.

‘In two weeks I think we’re going to see a massive rise in the deaths again. ‘I think we should be more stricter like Spain and none of us be allowed out.’

Mayor of the London borough of Hackney Phil Glanville has concerns over the number of people gathering around the area’s Broadway Market, where a number of cafes and pubs are selling takeaways.

Last month he told the Hackney Gazette: ‘Police and council enforcement officers were deployed to the area on Sunday, and, from this weekend, we are proposing to suspend parking, close Broadway Market to through-traffic and deploy additional police and council officers to advise people and businesses to stick to the guidance.’

Industry body UK Hospitality has submitted a 75-page document to ministers, giving a first glimpse of what bars and restaurants could look like when they are officially allowed to open.

Proposals include condiments and cutlerly not being left on tables, menus being cleaned after every use, restrictions on customers hanging around the bar, socially distanced tape on the floor and an end to hotel buffets.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
UK Inflation Slows Sharply in January, Strengthening Case for Bank of England Rate Cut
Hide the truth, fake the facts, pretend the opposite, Britain is as usual
UK Inflation Falls to Ten-Month Low, Markets Anticipate Interest Rate Cut
UK House Prices Climb 2.4% in December as Market Shows Signs of Stabilisation
BAE Systems Predicts Sustained Expansion as Defence Orders Reach Record High
Pro-Palestine Activists Cleared of Burglary Charges Over Break-In at UK Israeli Arms Facility
Former Reform UK Councillors Form New Local Group Amid Party Fragmentation
Reform UK Pledges to Retain Britain’s Budget Watchdog as It Seeks Broader Economic Credibility
Miliband Defends UK-California Clean Energy Pact After Sharp Criticism by Trump
University of Kentucky to Host 2026 Summer Camps Fair Connecting Families with Local Programmes
UK Police Forces Assess Claims Jeffrey Epstein Used Stansted Airport Flights in Trafficking Network
UK-Focused Equity ETF FLGB Climbs to Fresh 52-Week Peak on Strong Market Sentiment
Trump Warns UK’s Chagos Islands Agreement Is a “Big Mistake” Amid Strategic Security Debate
Trump Urges UK to Retain Sovereignty Over Diego Garcia Amid Strategic Concerns
Italian Police Arrest Man After Alleged Attempt to Abduct Toddler at Bergamo Supermarket, Child Hospitalised With Fractured Femur
Reform UK Appoints Former Conservative Minister Robert Jenrick as Finance Chief
UK Unemployment Rises to Highest in Nearly Five Years as Labour Market Weakens
Rupert Lowe Advocates for English-Only Use in the UK
US Successfully Transports Small Nuclear Reactor from California to Utah
South Korea's traditional sand wrestling sport ssireum faces declining interest at home
Japan outlawed Islam
Virginia Giuffre accuses Epstein of trafficking to powerful men for blackmail.
New Mexico lawmakers initiate investigation into Zorro Ranch linked to Jeffrey Epstein
British Tourist Arrested at Hong Kong Airport After Meltdown and Vandalism
Nigel Farage Names Reform UK Frontbench Team and Signals Zero Tolerance for Internal Dissent
Qualcomm to Withdraw UK Lawsuit Over Smartphone Chip Royalty Dispute
Major UK Banks Explore Domestic Card Network to Rival Visa and Mastercard
Cold Health Alert Issued Across UK as Temperatures Drop Sharply
Nine-Year-Old Becomes First Child in UK to Undergo Groundbreaking Leg-Lengthening Surgery
UK Workers Face Stagnant Incomes and a Softening Labour Market as Unemployment Climbs
UK Passport Rules Tightened for British Dual Nationals Under New Travel Guidance
California Deepens Global Climate Alliance with New UK Pact and Major Clean-Tech Investment Drive
UK Supreme Court Tightens Rules on Use of ‘Milk’ and ‘Cheese’ Labels for Plant-Based Products
University of Kentucky Postpones Feb. 19 Law Enforcement Training Exercise in Lexington
‘The only thing illegal is Keir Starmer handing these islands to a country like Mauritius!’
JD Vance says Germany is “killing itself” by taking in millions of fake asylum seekers from culturally incompatible nations.
UK Markets Signal Opportunity as Starmer Confronts Intensifying Political Pressure
Trump Criticises Newsom’s UK Climate Pact, Defends Federal Authority Over Foreign Engagements
UK’s Top Prosecutor Says ‘No One Is Above the Law’ as Police Review Claims Against Ex-Prince Andrew
Rubio Calls for Sweeping U.N. Reform, Saying It Has Failed to End Wars in Gaza and Ukraine
Prince William Meets Saudi Crown Prince as Epstein-Andrew Fallout Casts Shadow
Starmer Calls for Renewed ‘Hard Power’ Investment at European Security Summit
UK Police Establish National Taskforce to Handle Domestic Epstein-Linked Allegations
UK Court Rules Ban on Palestine Action Unlawful in Major Free Speech Test
UK Faces Prospect of Net Migration Turning Negative as Economic Impact Looms
Peter Mandelson Asked to Testify Before US Congress Over Jeffrey Epstein Links
Document Suggests Prince Andrew Shared UK Briefing on Afghan Investment Opportunities with Jeffrey Epstein
Beijing Brands UK Hong Kong Visa Expansion ‘Despicable and Reprehensible’ After Jimmy Lai Sentencing
Tesco Chief Warns UK Is ‘Sleepwalking’ Toward a Joblessness Crisis
Trump’s ‘Act of Great Stupidity’ Comment on UK Chagos Deal Reverberates Through Diplomacy and Strategy
×