It’s been months since we came to know about the pandemic that brought many nations to their knees. Despite the ease in the lockdown, the uncertainty still mires our judgement to go back to the normalcy we once knew. But as they say, humanity has never experienced a threat like this – humanity has never come out stronger as today! From introducing new norms to communicate in the society, to cultivating more extensive health & hygiene habits, the world is waking up from the Covid stupor, stronger and better. While all kinds of businesses are going back to their routine, there is one business that never stopped working. The restaurant & takeaway industry has been up and running tirelessly, even during the Covid lockdown, in fact, more so. Not only have they continued to go above and beyond in delivering comfort to people, they have been ensuring that their staff and customers are safe during this pandemic.
Want to know how they have been keeping us safe?
Here are some of the measures taken by takeaways and restaurants across the UK to safeguard our health:
- Restaurants have introduced the option of ordering food from their apps or known food portals.
- Food businesses have brought in strict rules to comply with the government’s safety regulations. Enforcing the staff to wash their hands before handling food, cooking, touching cutleries and while packing takeouts.
- To comply with the safe distancing rules, contactless deliveries have been opted for with drivers being educated to follow these rules without fail.
- The staff has been educated about the pandemic and screening of temperature is done regularly.
- Takeaways are keeping a close eye on handling the waste by encouraging the staff to use disposable gloves while cleaning the tables and disposing food waste. Reminding them to tightly close the garbage bags and washing their hands immediately without touching anywhere else.
- The staff is taking extra precautions while cleaning high-risk surfaces. From setting schedules for cleaning the most frequently used places like cash counters, doors, washbasins, payment machines, furniture etc. to using detergent, or disinfectant that kill the germs or viruses and limit the spread.
- Articles like soap, hand sanitisers, tissues are made available in abundance for the kitchen staff, delivery partners and customers.
- Encourage customers to use contactless payment methods for their orders.
As the lockdown gets abated in the UK, a few new guidelines have been formed and added to the measures that takeaways, pubs and restaurants must take to keep customers and staff safe.
Some of the added ones are-
- The staff should wash their hands before placing the cutlery on tables
- Music should be kept at a low volume to avoid the need for people to shout, reducing the risk of transmission
- Pub-goers will be encouraged to book tables in advance
- Live gigs and standing at the bar will not be allowed
- The access to toilets will be controlled
- Placement on tables and seating areas will be arranged in a way to comply social distancing
- Customers will be requested to give their name and phone number. The owners of restaurants and pubs will have to make note of their time of arrival and the period of their stay.
The studies clearly show that the illness is a respiratory one and there is no evidence of it spreading via food or food packaging. Still all the takeaway and restaurant chains have taken the onus to maintain hygiene and safety.
Meeting our food demands, specially when they have doubled in the last few months, while complying to health measures, these food businesses have served us without a glitch. For this reason and more, they deserve all our admiration and respect.
If you can think of something else to add to this list, please feel free to write to us at [email protected], we would love to hear from you.
