Greene King, owners of Belhaven, will reopen outdoor areas in 51 of its 125 managed pubs in Scotland from 26 April, including 23 Belhaven pubs.
Greene King Pub Partners tenants, who make up a further 120 pubs across Scotland, will decide on an individual basis whether to reopen their outdoor areas from 26 April once restrictions are lifted to permit groups of up to six people from three households to meet in outdoor areas, with some limited indoor hospitality also allowed from this date. These are not included in the 51 managed pubs total.
Greene King chief executive Nick Mackenzie said, “We’re excited to be able to reopen outdoor spaces at over 50 of our managed pubs in Scotland and can’t wait to welcome our customers back safely to enjoy a pint in a beer garden without the legal requirement to buy a meal as well.
“Sadly, just over half of our managed pubs Scotland won’t be able to reopen in April as they either don’t have outdoor space or there is no prospect of them being viable, but we know the vital role pubs play in communities and feel it’s important to open as many as we can to help people get back together once again.
“We look forward to May when we can open many more of our pubs, and with England planning a return to normality in June when the restrictions are fully removed, we hope that a similar lifting of restrictions can also take place in Scotland over the summer to allow businesses to rebuild. Until then, here’s hoping the weather in May is kind and allows plenty of opportunities to visit a pub garden.”