West London pubs re-open this weekend, but what will going for a post-lockdown pint look like?
As businesses reopen, we spoke to Pub Landlord Mick Pearson about what changes The Cross Keys on Black Lion Lane have been making during lockdown
This Saturday is July 4th, the day many of us have been waiting for. It is the day that the hospitality industry has the green light to reopen, and the streets of London will again be filled with the usual Summer soundtrack of bustling pub gardens.
In our Hammersmith office, we’ve long been fans of The Cross Keys on Black Lion Lane. Last week, Autumn met its Landlord Mick Pearson (and famous pub cat Kirsty) for a socially distanced interview to find out what changes this traditional British pub has made ahead of the big reopening.
“At first I couldn’t wait to be open again, but now it’s a bit strange. It seems like such a long time ago that I was working, I was working 9am til midnight. But we’ll just fall back into it, it’s like riding a bike.”
At the time of the interview, the Government was yet to release guidance on ‘how to reopen your restaurant, pub or hotel post-lockdown’ and the risk assessments this will entail. Crucially, the success of the Cross keys (and many other independent bars and eateries) depended on whether a 2 metre or 1 metre distancing rule was enforced.
“1 metre is doable, 2 metres isn’t- in any pub I would imagine. Hopefully, by the time we get to the 3rd we’ll be in a position to have a 1 metre rule and be more relaxed.”
However, whilst they may be allowed to reopen, many residents will need to be reassured that it will be safe for them to return to their favourite pubs and bars. At the Cross Keys, Mick has been making some big changes.
“We already have a massive supply of sanitiser and we’ve installed more dispensers around the pub. In the toilets, we’ll now have two dispensers- one for soap and one for sanitiser, there will now be one on the back bar for the staff, and they’re all contactless. Then by each one we’ll have a data sheet. For the surfaces, we used to use a detergent but now we’ll swap to a sanitiser-based spray” .
Luckily for Mick, the Cross keys has the benefit of a spacious beer garden that he’s spent lockdown giving a makeover, complete with giant mural of Kirsty herself painted by a local artist.
Outside of being a pub landlord, when he moved to Hammersmith in 2018 Mick set up a community initiative to tackle the growing amount of litter on the St Peter’s streets. St Peter’s Pickers meet on the first Saturday of every month, collect litter for an hour then return to the Cross keys for a free tea or coffee.
“First I got in contact with a couple of local councillors. One department donated all the sticks and the tabards, and another organised a truck to come and pick up the bags of rubbish- I just had to provide the people. The councillors have been very supportive, particularly Asif Siddique. He’s been to every one and been really helpful, then there’s a core of locals that attend every month.”
The Pickers were on pause for the Winter and then COVID-19 further halted the sessions, but Mick assures me that they will soon be back cleaning the streets again. If you live in the area and are interested in joining a team that keeps their community clean then email Mick at thecrosskeysw6@gmail.com.
Personally, we can’t wait to welcome Mick and all the other local pubs, bars and cafes safely back into the community as we all adapt to the ‘new normal’, and ensure our West London businesses bounce back stronger than ever.
