With the health and safety of our guests and team paramount, our three spacious dining rooms have been suitably adjusted to provide a safe dining environment and we continue to work tirelessly to preserve the friendly welcome and ambience that The Merchant’s Yard has to offer.

 

Our plans for a safe return from lockdown:

 

• Enhanced procedures and training for our team regarding hygiene and daily temperature checks.

• The Merchant’s Yard will undergo a vigorous decontamination and sterilisation process before re-opening, and once fully opened these processes will be carried out at regular intervals.

• Hand wash or sanitising station provided at all entrances for guests and in all work areas for the team.

• Organising the restaurant layout and team rotas to reduce the number of guests and colleagues in any area.

• Our opening hours will be temporarily reduced, opening Wednesday to Sunday.

• Mandatory spacing will be enforced, ensuring your table is away from others, however you will be free to choose how closely you would like to sit next to your guests.

• In order to protect you and The Merchant’s Yard team, all seating in and around our bar areas has been removed. Vertical drinking is not permitted in the restaurant until further notice.

• All doors will be open where possible to avoid contamination.

 

The Merchant’s Yard Team

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• All members of The Merchant’s Yard team will ensure their hands are washed/sanitised upon leaving their house and immediately upon arrival at work.

• All teams will be subject to having their temperature checked before working and will be sent home if a temperature is detected.

• All team members will wash and sanitise their hands at no more than fifteen minute intervals OR at least every fifteen minutes.

• Our staff will refrain from physical contact with each other where possible and where not deemed necessary for their employment.

• Staff will not be permitted to share food or drinks at all.

• No use of mobile phones will be permitted whilst at work, including front and back of house.

• All staff who use a computer, keyboard, mouse or phone in any form of office environment for the purpose of work will be required to sanitise each of the listed items before and after use each day.

• Teams must travel to and from work in personal clothes and shoes, changing on site into their uniforms.

• All common areas will be wiped down with sanitiser spray on the hour and at half past the hour. This includes door handles, push pads, reception desks, handsets, washroom counter tops, faucets, till systems, PDQ machines and stations.

• Checklists will be in place for each department and used for every wipe down.

• When gloves are worn by back of house staff, they will be disposed of and refreshed at no longer than thirty-minute intervals.

 

Bookings

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• Our Reservations Team are here to help you with bookings in our restaurants and private dining rooms. We have taken comprehensive measures front and back of house to ensure that both you and our teams can enjoy working and dining in our venues with absolute confidence that all safety measures and good practices have been implemented.

• We will stagger all dining times to avoid queuing at reception and ‘return times’ will respectfully be given to you when booking.

• We offer you the opportunity to select your preferred table in advance of dining with us.

 

YOUR DINING EXPERIENCE

 

Coat Check

• To avoid queuing at coat checks, all coats and bags will be taken from and returned to you at your table, upon request.

 

Set Up and Standards

• Our wooden board menus will be replaced with wipe-able laminate menus.

• All Menus will be available online.

• Unnecessary items at each place setting have been reduced to avoid contamination.

• All Cutlery will be sanitised prior to your table being laid.

• All wine bottles will be sanitised before serving to your table.

 

Resetting

• All tables and chairs will be sanitised after your visit.

• Wine buckets and stands will be sanitised after each use.

 

Service

• Pre-ordering can be available on request.

• Only two plates will be carried by our staff at any one time, laundered napkins will be used to carry plates to tables.

 

Bill Payments

• For the meantime our leather bill folders will not be used.

 

If you wish to contact us, our reservation team will be available on 01298 872 442. Alternatively please email us at enquiries@themerchantsyard.com

 

We hope you and your families are continuing to stay safe and well, and look forward to welcoming you back to The Merchant’s Yard very soon.

 

YOUR STAY

 

Here at The Merchant’s Yard we take the safety and well-being of all our visitors and staff seriously. We want guests to relax and enjoy their stay, whist ensuring everyone is adhering to government guidance and safety precautions for hospitality venues. Whilst you are staying with us we would ask that you:

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• Maintain social distancing in all public areas

• Wear a mask when moving around the restaurant and hallways  Your face covering may only be removed when seated at a table

• Use the hand sanitiser provided around the venue

 

Please note that:

• Breakfast will be served in the downstairs dining area and will be table service only

• Turndown service can only be offered when the room is vacated

A full copy of our Covid risk assessment is available on request.

 

 

Kind regards
The Merchant’s Yard

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**Please note that due to the ever‐changing landscape surrounding Covid‐19 and the ongoing government updates and amendments, these newly laid out precautionary measures are subject to change frequently and at any given time depending on government guidelines, advice and updates**