Takeaway alcohol banned in latest lockdown

By Lisa Riley

Published: 05 January, 2021

Bars, pubs and restaurants have been banned from selling takeaway alcohol under England’s latest lockdown rules announced by Boris Johnson last night.

Under the new rules, coming into effect today, while restaurants and pubs will be able to sell food and soft drinks for delivery, takeaway and click-and-collect (until 11pm), on-trade businesses will no longer be able to serve takeaway or click-and-collect alcohol.

This ban marks a tightening of the restrictions imposed under Tier 4, with the ban believed to be implemented due to concerns that customers would buy takeaway drinks and meet with friends to drink nearby.

In positive news for indies, the government confirmed that off-licences are allowed to remain open as part of other essential retail.

The national lockdown, the third for England, will be debated in Parliament tomorrow. It will be in place indefinitely and no end date has been set for review, but Johnson suggested that it could come after February half term – the date by which the government hopes to have vaccinated the four most vulnerable groups.

The English lockdown announcement followed First Minister Nicola Sturgeon’s announcement earlier in the afternoon that restrictions “similar to the lockdown of March last year” would be implemented in Scotland from midnight last night.

In light of the fresh lockdowns, UK Hospitality has committed to assisting the vaccine roll-out while also calling for a road map to recovery.

Yesterday, BrewDog announced it was in talks with the British and Scottish governments over offering its bars to help roll out the coronavirus vaccine.

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