The Black Bull, Sedbergh, and its sister business the Three Hares Café are adapting to changing business conditions in light of Covid-19.
Both businesses are continuing to trade to ensure that their staff can continue to earn a wage and support their families within the local community.
The Black Bull is looking to diversify with a view to supporting their local community during the coronavirus outbreak. The kitchen team is in the process of creating a takeaway menu offering a range of simple but nourishing dishes made using locally sourced quality produce.
The team are also offering a takeout beer and wine service to enable people to enjoy a pint or a glass of wine with their meal in the comfort of their own home.
Both services are expected to be up and running by next week and will be available between 4pm and 8.30pm. To place an order simply call or email and a member of the team will confirm your order, provide you with a collection time and take your payment, so all you have to do is collect your meal from the bar and then head home to enjoy restaurant quality food in the comfort of your own home.
Head Chef Nina Matsunaga is also busy baking fresh bread daily, drawing on her training as an artisan baker. Each day Nina bakes a range of sourdough and wholemeal breads and rolls which are available from the Three Hares Café, as well as a selection of takeaway soups and sandwiches.
The Black Bull’s restaurant is also open daily for both lunch and dinner and to alleviate concerns in light of government recommendations made on Monday night (16th March) the team at the Black Bull have introduced a range of social distancing measures, including reducing the number of covers in its restaurant and increasing the distance between tables as well as introducing enhanced in-depth cleaning regime covering all spaces with the hotel and restaurant.
In addition, the team has taken the decision to remove menu folders from both restaurants. From this point onwards our menus can be accessed online, can be emailed to guests at the time of booking and should guests require a paper copy can be printed for their personal use, which will then be appropriately disposed of.
The team are also encouraging all of our guests at the Black Bull and the Three Hares Café to use chip and pin and contactless payment methods; our team will also disinfect our payment devices after every transaction.
It goes without saying that whilst the team already take hygiene very seriously and will be increasing measures and assessing the situation day by day.
James Ratcliffe, co-owner of the Black Bull commented: ‘’We live in a very rural part of the country, which ordinarily is a blessing, but in times such as these it poses very real and significant problems for the whole community. With little or no public transport and very limited services available to the community we have a very real need to keep people in jobs, look after our vulnerable neighbours and ensure everyone has enough food to eat. It is essential we work together in an attempt to alleviate the situation and really pull together as a community and we hope we are able to continue to act as a focal point for our community for as long as possible.‘’