England's pubs ponder if pasties or chips make a meal amid COVID lockdown

 

FILE PHOTO: People watch the TV as Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson makes a speech, at a pub, amid the outbreak of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) in Liverpool, Britain, October 12, 2020. REUTERS/Phil Noble

 

LONDON (Reuters) - Pub owners across England's COVID-19 hotspots were on Tuesday pondering a question that could decide if they survive or sink due to the coronavirus lockdown: when is a pub a pub, and when does it become a restaurant?

 

The question has sparked a bizarre discussion about some of England's favourite snacks: fries, chips and pork scratchings - roasted pork rind - do not count as a meal, according to a government minister quizzed on the status of the delicacies.

 

But Cornish pasties, a much-loved meat and vegetable pie that dates back to England's ancient tin mines, do count as a meal.

 

Prime Minister Boris Johnson introduced a new tiered system of restrictions for England on Monday, with Liverpool and the surrounding Merseyside placed in the highest level, with pubs shut, to curb an acceleration in COVID-19 cases.

 

But under the government's published advice, pubs can stay open in such areas "where they operate as if they were a restaurant - which means serving substantial meals, like a main lunchtime or evening meal."

 

Such pub-restaurants may only serve alcohol as part of such a meal, according to the government's advice.

 

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said a substantial meal was clear - and did not include snacks such as pork scratchings, crisps or chips but did include Cornish pasties and possibly sausage rolls.

 

"A substantial meal means the kind of meal that you'd have for lunch or the kind of meal you'd have for dinner - a proper meal. It doesn't mean a packet of crisps or a plate of chips or a bag of pork scratchings," Jenrick told Sky.

 

Questioned at length by reporters on Tuesday, Jenrick agreed that a Cornish Pasty with chips or side-salad would amount to a substantial meal.

 

"That's a normal meal," Jenrick told LBC. "People who actually run pubs and bars will be familiar with this and know how to operate this."

 

The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA), a lobby group for brewers and pubs, said around 970 pubs would be affected by Johnson's announcement.

 

"Singling out pubs for closure and further restrictions is simply the wrong decision and grossly unfair," BBPA CEO Emma McClarkin said. "If the government is really going to go ahead and force much of our sector to close, then a far stronger financial package of support is going to be needed."

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-10-13

 

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6 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said a substantial meal was clear - and did not include snacks such as pork scratchings, crisps or chips but did include Cornish pasties and possibly sausage rolls.

That scratch is making me itch .. 

Why did the sausage roll ?

Because he can't walk ..

Possibly sausage rolls .! Is that the sausage in pastry or the sausages in a bread roll as there is a difference you know Mr Jenrick .. 

 

6 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

 

Questioned at length by reporters on Tuesday, Jenrick agreed that a Cornish Pasty with chips or side-salad would amount to a substantial meal.

Questioned at length .! 

" Minister would you agree that chips or side salad amount to a substantial meal " .?

 

" Um , err , well , yes .. but only proper chips .. not those McCain microwave in 30 sec things " .. 

 

You couldn't make this hit with a S up .. country is going to the hotdogs and all they can do is rabbit on about salad or chips .. 

Wait till Boxing day when the turkey sarnies and drumsticks are on the bar .. that'll perspex them .. 

Pigs in a blanket?  A lot of pondering going on indeed!

no commend

7 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said a substantial meal was clear - and did not include snacks such as pork scratchings, crisps or chips but did include Cornish pasties and possibly sausage rolls.

 

"A substantial meal means the kind of meal that you'd have for lunch or the kind of meal you'd have for dinner - a proper meal. It doesn't mean a packet of crisps or a plate of chips

Elitist <deleted> 

Lol, sausage rolls “a proper meal”

How about an 8 course meal?  6-pack and Twinkies.

 

Fillet of dover sole and a bottle of Krug is your basic minimum to a Tory minister its ready meals from iceland for UC claimants pasties are a grey area ????  

Surely it is determined by the licence they have. Licenced as a bar then no. Bar/restaurant then yes.

1 hour ago, Sujo said:

Surely it is determined by the licence they have. Licenced as a bar then no. Bar/restaurant then yes.

 

Pub - short for public house. Not a bar and not a restaurant. Some pubs serve food - but the variation used to be very wide. But pub meals can be very good, and very good value too. 

 

 

15 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Pub - short for public house. Not a bar and not a restaurant. Some pubs serve food - but the variation used to be very wide. But pub meals can be very good, and very good value too. 

 

 

Agree, but how are they licensed? Because leaving the interpretation of a meal to the officer in charge is worse than the purposefully vague Thai laws 

45 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Pub - short for public house. Not a bar and not a restaurant. Some pubs serve food - but the variation used to be very wide. But pub meals can be very good, and very good value too. 

 

 

Yes the line between pub and restaurant has narrowed considerably over the years with many pubs offering full a le carte menus.  Not sure where the line is for licensing though.

There is a lot of anger over these latest restrictions, some saying it won't make any difference and some saying that it isn't hard enough.  Either way it is clear that it just causes more chaos and economic pain.  It is obvious that the government is waiting for a viable vaccine and until then are faffing about and getting nowhere.

42 minutes ago, dunroaming said:

There is a lot of anger over these latest restrictions, some saying it won't make any difference and some saying that it isn't hard enough.  Either way it is clear that it just causes more chaos and economic pain.  It is obvious that the government is waiting for a viable vaccine and until then are faffing about and getting nowhere.

The whole thing beggars belief. This is not a political point, but Starmer spoke sanely and sensibly about the need for a "Circuit breaker"for 2/3 weeks, right or wrong is it sooo hard to put forward a reasoned argument? This guy Jenrick, - already established as a crook who bypassed planning rules to take £5 million away from a cash strapped local council,  and save vile "Tit and Bum" man Desmond of the Express from paying tax - thinks that Cornish pasty with the right sort of chips turns a pub into a restaurant. Jesus wept, thousands are dying of Covid and we are reduced to arguing about this.

In kuala lumpur we are on the 3rd wave. My workplace had 23 cases, ordered to close and stayed open and didnt tell anyone. Idiots. They have a huge fine coming.

 

Now we are in 2 weeks lockdown but its a regional lockdown. But bevause i was there im today tested and counting ants crawling up the wall.

 

So annoyed at them.

A pasty is a meal in itself. Healthy too. I lived on them for 6 years at uni (that's including post grad). Two pasties a day and little else (except beer of course).

if you let people congregate inside rooms to eat or drink it's going to increase transmission, bottom line. If six people catch the disease and one dies was it worth the loss in life in paying the electrical bill of the pub? Who gets to decide that? This waffling over licensing rules detracts from the real issue - "how much is a British citizen's life worth?" Very sad that it's come down to this..

Don't they have counter lunches in the home country. Very popular in the antipodes.

1 hour ago, Pedrogaz said:

A pasty is a meal in itself. Healthy too. I lived on them for 6 years at uni (that's including post grad). Two pasties a day and little else (except beer of course).

A pasty! Pure luxury man. All I had a uni was Walkers cheese and onion crisps and Special Brew.  With an occasional salt beef sandwich when my flat mate got a food parcel from home.

Pasties must be something entirely different in the UK...

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pasties-i973740303-s2083854009.html

Nice steak & kidney pie chips & gravy no peas - is that classed as substantial? 

On 10/13/2020 at 2:04 PM, Meat Pie 47 said:

no commend

maybe some bangers in that meat pie!

millions of Brits
LITERALLY grew up eating a bag of chips as a meal

23 hours ago, impulse said:

Pasties must be something entirely different in the UK...

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pasties-i973740303-s2083854009.html

Similar shape and good to eat, here's some I cooked earlier ...........

 

On 10/14/2020 at 4:58 PM, from the home of CC said:

if you let people congregate inside rooms to eat or drink it's going to increase transmission, bottom line. If six people catch the disease and one dies was it worth the loss in life in paying the electrical bill of the pub? Who gets to decide that? This waffling over licensing rules detracts from the real issue - "how much is a British citizen's life worth?" Very sad that it's come down to this..

Who get's to decide that? The people who go to the pub. If you're scared you are going to die from a virus, don't go. If you go to the pub, then you decided it was a risk you were willing to take. The government can <deleted> right off and let people make their own decisions about what their life is worth.

48 minutes ago, woogoo said:

Who get's to decide that? The people who go to the pub. If you're scared you are going to die from a virus, don't go. If you go to the pub, then you decided it was a risk you were willing to take. The government can <deleted> right off and let people make their own decisions about what their life is worth.

Works fine that way, as long as you keep into your own bubble with likeminded people.

 

"The government can <deleted> right off and let people make their own decisions about what their life is worth." By meeting other people you are deciding for them what their life is worth. It is not only about getting infected, it is about social responsibility of not infecting others.

On 10/14/2020 at 7:31 PM, impulse said:

Pasties must be something entirely different in the UK...

 

https://www.lazada.co.th/products/pasties-i973740303-s2083854009.html

Same.  You hold them in your hand and nibble away.

31 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Works fine that way, as long as you keep into your own bubble with likeminded people.

 

"The government can <deleted> right off and let people make their own decisions about what their life is worth." By meeting other people you are deciding for them what their life is worth. It is not only about getting infected, it is about social responsibility of not infecting others.

No, you aren't. If you are in public you are making a decision that you have no problems with the virus or that what you want to do in public is more important than your risk of getting sick. If you are truly afraid you can stay home and order food in. By stepping into public, you take on the responsibility that something bad could happen. The same as when you get into a car and drive. There is implied consent. I don't know what is so hard about this? If you are really scared, stay home. If not, get on with life as normal.

28 minutes ago, woogoo said:

No, you aren't. If you are in public you are making a decision that you have no problems with the virus or that what you want to do in public is more important than your risk of getting sick. If you are truly afraid you can stay home and order food in. By stepping into public, you take on the responsibility that something bad could happen. The same as when you get into a car and drive. There is implied consent. I don't know what is so hard about this? If you are really scared, stay home. If not, get on with life as normal.

Seems the government disagrees with you. So do I btw with your 'i do what I want and don't care about anyone else's attitude.

26 minutes ago, stevenl said:

Seems the government disagrees with you. So do I btw with your 'i do what I want and don't care about anyone else's attitude.

The government isn't a person who makes wise and informed decisions. It's large groups of people with various self-interests that seek to expand power. I could care less what the government thinks and we would all be wise to limit the power of government as much as possible.

 

Also, I never said do what you want and don't care about anyone else. I said that by coming out into public you are consenting that you understand you may get a virus and potentially, quite unlikely but potentially, die. Just like when you get into a car you consent that you may get into a traffic accident and die even if you are doing everything you can to be safe. 

 

If you can't handle that then stay home and use the many services at you're disposal to continue on with your life as needed and let all of the people who are not concerned with catching a virus continue to live life. That is hardly telling people to do whatever they want.