ENGLISH PUBS AND restaurants have welcomed the government’s U-turn on businesses selling takeaway alcohol during the second national lockdown.

The new rules state customers must pre-order their drink online, or by phone or post, which can be collected as long as they do not enter a premises.

Official guidelines published over the weekend initially indicated a ban on serving alcohol takeaways for restaurants and pubs that will be made to close from Thursday.

The U-turn comes as a relief to industry bosses who have previously warned the ban would result in “thousands of gallons of beer (being) poured down drains”, with pub owners and campaigners urging the government to reverse the “baffling” and “nonsensical” decision.

Nik Antona, chairman of the The Campaign for Real Ale (Camra), said: “I am delighted that the government has listened to the concerns of thousands of Camra members, concerned pub-goers, and beer lovers who have emailed their MPs in the last 48 hours urging the government to allow pubs and breweries to sell alcohol as takeaway during the second lockdown.

This is a vital lifeline for local pubs and breweries across England over the coming four weeks, giving them a lifeline of income and allowing people to support local businesses.

“Camra continues to call on the government to bring in a comprehensive, long-term financial support package to support all pubs and breweries through the lockdown and the tough months that will follow this winter.

“Without a sector-specific support package, we risk seeing thousands of pubs and breweries closing their doors for good.”

Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer and Pub Association (BBPA), said: “Takeaway alcohol from pubs if it is pre-ordered and customers don’t enter the premises is movement, but still not anywhere near enough.

“Supermarkets and off-licences can still sell alcohol so this is grossly unfair on pubs with off-licences.

“It remains the case that to help pubs and brewers survive, and to stop up to 7.5 million pints from being wasted, the government needs to give pubs the same ability to sell off-licence alcohol as it did in the first lockdown.”

Details of regulations drafted to cover England’s expected second lockdown were released yesterday evening – less than 48 hours before they come into effect – and will be voted on in the House of Commons today.

The proposed regulations say that a restricted business can only sell alcohol for off-premises consumption by “making deliveries in response to orders received” through a website or other online communication, by telephone, including text message, or by post.

The regulations also explain that pre-ordered drinks can be sold to, and collected by, a customer “provided the purchaser does not enter inside the premises to do so”.

A customer can also collect pre-orders in a vehicle as long as it is passed over “without the purchaser or any other person leaving the vehicle”.

Elsewhere in the regulations, breweries are listed as being included among “off-licences and licensed shops selling alcohol” permitted to stay open during lockdown.

A spokesperson for the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) said: “We recognise that these are extremely challenging circumstances for pubs and the hospitality industry.

“Public health and safety remains our number one priority and that is why pubs and other hospitality venues cannot serve alcohol on site to take away to prevent people from gathering outside their premises.

“However, they can sell alcohol as part of delivery services, including through click and collect, over the telephone and by other remote methods of ordering for collection, provided customers do not congregate as groups once they have picked up their order.”

Under new lockdown rules, people will only be able to visit outdoor public places with the people they live with, their support bubble, or one person from another household in parks, beaches, countryside, public gardens, allotments and playgrounds.