Football fans may not be able to visit Carrow Road on matchdays. However, from this week there is at least one way of getting a taste of the home of the Canaries.
Delia’s Restaurant, in the Regency Security Stand at Norwich City’s stadium, will open its doors to diners again from today, following the enforced closures of pubs, bars and restaurants as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
There were fears the restaurant, which is named after the club’s joint majority shareholder Delia Smith, may never open again.
However, it is preparing to welcome customers again, with a variety of new safety measures brought in to ensure it is Covid-secure for the coming months.
Among these, staff members will be required to have their temperatures taken on arrival to work, a new one-way system has been set out around the restaurant and additional hygiene measures have been put in place.
Staff members, including waiting staff, chefs and management, will also be provided with in-depth Covid-19 training to ensure they fully understand guidelines and advice around hospitality during the pandemic.
And as an extra safety precaution, customers will also be required to have their temperatures taken and complete a health questionnaire upon arrival – having pre-booked both their tables and meal selections. The restaurant has also removed a number of tables to allow for additional space.
Carol Robson, the restaurant’s manager, said: “Not having customers we have taken no revenue whatsoever since the weekend of March 13, so there were times we were left thinking ‘will we ever open again?’
“As a club we have a huge catering sector, through things such as weddings, smaller functions and obviously the restaurant, so there really have been dark days. This could not come soon enough.
“Delia [Smith] has been incredibly supportive throughout – not just to the restaurant but in many ways to the club as a whole.”
And for head chef Nigel Ramsbottom it ends 17 weeks of DIY projects, wallpaper hanging and home baking.
He said: “I’m just looking forward to being back at work – I’m sick of DIY.”
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