Yesterday, the prime minster announced that pubs must:

• Close by 10pm
• Only operate with table service

No problem, that is how we have done things since reopening.

“From 4 July,” one MP said in late June, “it is pretty much your patriotic duty to go out and enjoy yourself!”

Hating to be unpatriotic party-poopers, we stayed closed on 4 July so that we could take time to ensure the pub was as safe as possible for everyone. We wanted to reassure people newly nervous about pubs – while still providing the warm welcome that have always made pubs an integral part of the social fabric.

Notwithstanding that all our front of house staff will now be masked up, yesterday’s announcement does not change the practices – detailed on our homepage – that we already have in place.

The new rules also mean that we must now ask customers to please wear a mask when not sat at a table – but we will direct you to a table as soon as you arrive and ensure you have all you require there.

Since reopening, we have been pleased to work with Birmingham City Council and JQ BID to introduce outside seating, maintain the takeout service that sustained many through lockdown, and reward customers with a continued discount on food served in the pub – 25% off on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays in September.

Building on this we will be:

• Relaunching Sunday roasts from 4 October
• Getting the second floor back in the cocktail game from mid-October
• Continuing to support Birmingham Slow Food and seeking new ways to assist the transition to a zero-carbon economy

There is so much to be built back better in our often-fractious world. Without camaraderie and bonhomie, the pub’s essential ingredients, we will remain in rubble.

We are going nowhere. We will be here for anyone who wants a pub run to the highest standards of safety. It is our patriotic duty.