Britain's restaurants will be closed from Thursday. A restaurant booking which a member of my family had for Thursday was moved back to Tuesday.
Business Lunches
A business contact tells us, "We can only meet in a restaurant for business meetings."
So do you have to talk business throughout the meeting?
Some people say, 'never mix business with pleasure'. I know families where two brothers have fallen out and gone to court over the profits and responsibilities of a shared business, sometimes the family business inherited from their parents or grandparents. You must have read newspaper reports about sibling rivalry, brother-in-law who fall out, and so on. Not to mention ex-spouses who separate, get back together. businesses get sub-divided.
To take just one well examples, look at hotels. To find another, look at the brand names of clothing and fashionable items.
Many business partners and long-term business contacts also become friends, invited to a wedding.
Friends are asked to do business, write a will, or advise on finance,
So do you have to talk business throughout the meal?
From Thursday November 5th 2020 Restaurants in London, England, will be shut. We received an email followed by a recorded voice message from Petrus saying they had to cancel our booking but would welcome us back at a later date.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday and Wednesday, last chance to eat out. What are the rules? How do they know if you are following the rules? How do they know who you are and where you are?
Simple, if you have installed track and trace. Which you do for your own benefit. If a member of the restaurant staff or a patron falls ill, you might want to know, in order to observe yourself, get tested, or avoid members of your family who are vulnerable, such as an elderly granny or grandad, or pregnant woman.
Meanwhile - what's going on?
Are you being tape recorded?
Will the restaurant staff report you?
Or are they just glad to have the business?
The restaurant will not want you to get them into trouble by, for example, have too large a table, visible from the street where passers-by could take a photo.
Window Coverings
Windows, shutters, curtains, signs.
Many restaurants are using curtains and window coverings. They don't want snoopers.
Nor do they want passer-by to know if the premises are empty. Is the restaurant nothing but bare walls, or full of unguarded items which could be looted, or are the staff or security guards inside enjoying a self-cooked family meal.
Or are the premises boarded up with wood for protection, but with jolly curtains or even a tromple l'ouil of jolly diners seen from the outside to give the impression of a joly place.
Signs might be saying, sorry we are closed due to coronavirus. Welcoming signs might say, please book for Christmas and next year.
Nobody need know what is hidden.
I asked my family, please photograph the outside of the restaurant, the inside, the food. I received the reply, "I can't start taking pictures of food during a business meeting."
What about those of us who have no business meetings? Last trip out for coffee?
Coffee Excursion
If you have a business lunch on Tuesday, you might not want another on Wednesday. But how about a coffee out with another family member? Will Starbucks and Costa be packed out?
What can you do in the last two or three days? Many people already ate out during the last weekend opportunity.
You will be able to order food delivered from restaurants. Or collect it.
But what about the experience of eating out, just being in a different environment? Instead of having a full meal in a restaurant, you could go out for elevenses, coffee, afternoon tea.
Elevenses
Elevenses seems to be a British word. Nobody in Singapore, nobody whose first language is Chinese (Mandarin) understands when I say elevenses. Elevenses is the eleven o'clock break, mid-morning, for coffee or tea.
Maybe when Covid-19 has passed, if it ever passes, these reflections will be a thing of the time, a peep into the past.
I am writing to help you plan, and remember.
I imagine that from Thursday onwards, when UK restaurants are shut, my posts will only be about the take away and delivery options still available.
About The Author
Angela Lansbury is a travel writer, photographer and speaker. Read the next post on Americanisms and British English. Please share links to your favourite posts.
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