For Ian Handley, owner of The Coachmakers Arms, hospitality is doing its best, and has been an easy target throughout the pandemic.
He said: I don t see how we can be behind the increase. At my pub we re doing everything we can. If you don t want to eat then you can t drink. Simple as that. Hospitality is constantly blamed, but we know what the rules are and we re enforcing them. We ve had marshals, police and Environmental Health visit on multiple occasions. All anybody can think about is pubs, pubs, pubs.
Likewise, Market Cafe owner Nando Joaquim said it would be physically impossible for establishments like his to be spreading the virus.