Prime Minister Boris Johnson has shown his continued support for the hospitality industry by visiting his constituency local the recently-refurbished Crown & Treaty in Uxbridge this afternoon (July 10).
The visit came about when the pub’s General Manager, Leigh Phillips, emailed the Prime Minister inviting him along for a pint to celebrate the reopening of hospitality across England. Having been keen to support pubs as they begin their journey towards a new normal, Mr Johnson happily accepted the invitation.
During his visit, he was given a tour of the historic Crown & Treaty, shown the new safety and social distancing measures put in place and learnt how the management and staff have adapted to adhere to Government COVID-19 secure guidance.
The visit follows the Government announcement earlier this week of a temporary VAT cut on hospitality to 5%, the Job Retention Bonus and the launch of the Eat Out to Help Out discount scheme.
The Crown & Treaty is a part of the Old Spot Pub Company, in partnership with Ei Managed Investments, which is owned by Stonegate Pub Company. The pub was built in the early Sixteenth Century and used by King Charles for his ill-fated treaty with Cromwell.
Manager, Leigh Phillips, said: “I was delighted that the Prime Minister accepted my invitation to come and see how well we have adjusted to the ‘new normal’. My team and our guests have all picked up our new processes quickly and it just goes to show how the determination and flexibility of our industry allow us to adapt quickly – even during a global pandemic.”
Simon Longbottom, CEO of Stonegate Pub Company, said: “We are coming out of what has been an extraordinarily tough and unprecedented time for everyone in our industry. The hard work doesn’t stop here, however, it will take continued resilience and a willingness to adapt to change from all of us in hospitality to navigate the coming weeks and months, but we’re ready.
“I want to thank the Prime Minister for showing his continued support by visiting the Crown & Treaty today. It has meant a lot to Leigh and his team, as well as the wider Stonegate family.”
Prime Minister Boris Johnson added: “I know that this has been an extremely difficult few months for pubs and so it was real pleasure to be able to drop into the Crown & Treaty to offer my support following their reopening.
“There was a great spirit among the staff who have clearly worked incredibly hard to make the pub COVID-secure and ensure customers are safe. Pubs are an important part of our local communities and the Government is determined to do what it can to support them.”
