'Ludicrous' and 'devastating' - South Shields businesses react to latest Government restrictions on pubs and cafes

Under emergency legislation from Wednesday, September 30, it will be illegal across South Tyneside and large parts of the North East to enjoy a meal or drink inside pubs, cafes or restaurants with members of another household.

Police can fine first-time offenders £200 with serial law breakers facing penalties of up to £6,400.

Kath Brain fulfilled her dream of becoming licensee of the Steamboat pub, which can normally cater for around 200 customers, in July after working her way up from barmaid to manager over the last 20 years.

Although drinkers initially flocked to the Mill Dam venue when the first round of coronavirus restrictions were eased, she now fears the latest measures will “decimate the business”.

Kath, 40, from South Shields, plans to introduce more smaller tables to cater for individual households.

But she added: “We have a capacity at the moment of 74. If say we have 24 people each coming in on their own then that is it. We have no more room.

"I feel these changes are ridiculous and devastating. The pubs are the most compliant places going.

"We have sanitiser, track and trace, table service. You do not get that in some shops.”

Asked what the future holds for her business, she said: “It is hard to know until it happens. Luckily we have a lot of loyal customers.

"But I will probably end up working more and I will have to offer the staff less hours.”

Chris Donovan, 35, from South Shields, only opened his One More Than Two Brew micro brewery and tap room, in the town’s Portberry Street, earlier this month.

After an “amazing” opening weekend, the business is preparing to concentrate on takeaway bottle sales for income amid an anticipated decline in onsite drinkers and pub orders.

He said: "I am all for restrictions if they help. But at the moment the rules are shutting the door on the hospitality industry without actually saying so in so many words.

"Every single change is another reason for people not to go out. We cannot make any money or grow our businesses.

"They should either shut us down or let us open as normal. There is no middle ground.

"It was difficult enough for pubs before the pandemic with pubs shutting at a rate of one a day, never mind now.”

Sam Clark, 23, the co-owner of family business Cafe 42, in Chapter Row, South Shields, which only fully reopened last month, called the new measures “ludicrous”.

He added: “How can I work all day in here with family and friends and yet I cannot see them on a night because we live in different households?

"I am all for PPE and sanitiser and protecting each other. But I think changing the rules all the time just causes confusion and puts customers off.”

Amid all the uncertainty, the business plans to diversify by selling takeaway drinks and ice creams from a hatch next month.

Sam, a musician in his spare time, said: "We are ticking over okay at the moment but we have had fewer people coming in as we don’t get the big groups in like we used to like groups of ladies or younger students.”

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