Restaurants, Pubs and Bars

A summary of current restrictions for tourism and hospitality businesses can be found here. 

On 22nd December the Executive agreed a package of measures to limit the spread of the COVID-19 Omicron variant. More information about these can be found here and further guidance about these will be available as soon as possible.

For a summary of restrictions in place across all areas of life, please visit NI Direct’s ‘COVID-19 regulations guidance: what the restrictions mean for you’.

Tourism NI and the Department for the Economy has produced guidance called ‘Working Safely During COVID-19 in Tourism and Hospitality Businesses’. This document can be used for any business in the tourism and hospitality business as and when they are permitted to operate. It outlines ways in which you can operate your business as safely as possible during COVID-19. An update to the guidance was issued on 16th August 2021, amalgamating all previous versions.

The most up-to-date regulations can always be found at NIDirect.

This document sets out guidance on how to work safely within tourism and hospitality businesses. It takes account of practical considerations and recognises that the detailed arrangements may be different for each business. It has been prepared by the Department for the Economy, in partnership with Tourism NI and informed by the NI Tourism Recovery Working Group, the Public Health Agency (PHA), the Health and Safety Executive NI (HSENI) and key Executive Departments, and has been shared with trade unions.

This guidance should be considered and applied in line with:

• The Northern Ireland Executive’s Pathway out of Restrictions; 
• Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2020.
• Business Closures and Restrictions in Northern Ireland

Businesses must adhere to the re-opening dates and restrictions relating to each part of their business. They should also take into consideration restrictions that may apply to its customer base.

The guidance provides key considerations that each business will need to translate into specific actions for its own unique circumstances. A site-by-site approach is essential and the risk assessment will differ for every business.

Each one of us must play our part in tackling the pandemic and there is an onus on individuals to operate responsibly, in line with the latest public health guidance. Owners are responsible for the conduct of their businesses and should consider how they communicate with both their staff and customers in this regard.

For further information, please contact our Helpline via our online form available here or call us on 028 9592 5313, lines open Monday to Friday 10am-1pm.

If you are calling outside these times, please leave a message or email and one of our team will contact you as soon as possible.

Sectoral Guidance - Hospitality

Following from recent announcements of the ‘NI Economic Recovery Action Plan’ and the ‘Executive’s Pathway Out of Restrictions’, we have developed a series of ‘Getting NI Ready to Reopen webinars across various sectors within the Tourism and Hospitality Industry. 

This webinar is designed for industry within the NI Pubs and Restaurants sector and is aimed at helping you make sure you are ready for reopening and welcoming back visitors to your business when restrictions begin to ease. The webinar is available to view below.

Government Guidance:

FSA Checklist for reopening during Covid-19:
www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/reopening-checklist-for-food-businessesduring-covid-19

Adapting your business for takeaway and delivery:
http://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/adapting-restaurants-and-foodbusinesses-for-takeaway-and-food-delivery-during-covid-19

Safe Catering:
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/safe-catering

Cleaning effectively in your business:
https://www.food.gov.uk/business-guidance/cleaning-effectively-in-your-business

Sectoral Guidance:

UKHospitality, NIHF and Hospitality Ulster guidance:
https://www.nihf.co.uk/
https://hospitalityulster.org/

Disclaimer:
The information provided gives some guidance and assistance on Covid-19 (new coronavirus) for your tourism business. The guidance is not designed to be definitive but highlights areas that you should consider. Each business has its own requirements, depending on the type of business it is and the guests it attracts, therefore, if you require precise or detailed information on anything mentioned in this guidance, or on the legal implications for you in particular, you should seek professional legal advice.