Pub chain Greene King announces which Sunderland bars will reopen on April 12 as lockdown eases

Pub giants Greene King have announced which of its Wearside bars will reopen on Monday, April 12.
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Oak Tree Farm, which operates under Greene King’s Farmhouse Inns brand at Doxford International Business Park, is their only Wearside venue on the list. It is one of 19 managed houses in the North East owned by the chain which intend to open.

Greene King pubs which have not yet announced plans to reopen include the Rosedene on Queen Alexandra Road, the New Derby in Roker, Wearside Farm on Turbine Way and the Story Book in Boldon Leisure Park.

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Under government rules a maximum of six people or two households are allowed to mingle. It will be table service only and takeaways are allowed. Customers can use the pubs’ toilets.

Oaktree Farm is so far the only Greene King pub on Wearside to announce its reopening on April 12. Google image.Oaktree Farm is so far the only Greene King pub on Wearside to announce its reopening on April 12. Google image.
Oaktree Farm is so far the only Greene King pub on Wearside to announce its reopening on April 12. Google image.

But the government has scrapped the controversial 10pm curfew which was enforced when pubs reopened in 2020. Also gone is the rule requiring a “substantial” meal with a drink, which led to farcical discussions about Scotch eggs.

Greene King announced that it would be opening 442 of its pub gardens in England on April 12 as lockdown restrictions ease.

Their tenant pubs, which make up another 875 bars in England, will decide on an individual basis whether to reopen from April 12. They are not included in the 442 managed pubs total.

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Customers are advised to book a table online from Friday, March 26. But, providing there is space, people can turn up without booking.

Some pubs will have reduced opening hours and menus. This information, along with how to book, will be updated on individual pubs’ websites “over the coming days”.

Greene King chief executive Nick Mackenzie said: “It’s great that we can finally open outdoor areas in some of our pubs after such a long period of lockdown and we can’t wait to start welcoming our customers back, safely.

“Sadly, we can only open around a third of our estate in April where we have outdoor space that will work and have a chance of being viable

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"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.”

Greene King employs around 40,000 people and operates about 2,700 pubs, restaurants and hotels across Great Britain.

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