London unlocks: Lord Mayor toasts return of City hospitality
The Lord Mayor of the City of London undertook a whistle stop tour of the Square Mile’s reopening hospitality venues this afternoon as London began to unlock.
Pubs and restaurants were both able to serve customers inside today for the first time since mid-December.
Amongst the Mayor William Russell’s visits were M Restaurant on Threadneedle Street, where proprietor Martin Williams told City A.M. that it was the “first step for hospitality to get back on its feet.”
“There’s an outpouring of demand so we’re seeing lots of bookings from guests, and our staff’s mental health has improved tenfold by returning to work, so it’s a bit of a honeymoon period,” he said.
Also on the Mayor’s tour was Shepherd Neame pub The Old Doctor Butler’s Head, on Mason’s Avenue near Moorgate.
There the Lord Mayor poured a ceremonial first pint alongside Shepherd Neame CEO Jonathan Neame, having delivered a barrel to the pub on a traditional shire-horse ‘dray’.
Guests at what must have been one of the City’s first luncheons in months enjoyed a traditional pub lunch – from scotch egg’s to a Kentish fidget pie.
