'Beyond busy' Devon pub pulls out of Eat Out to Help Out scheme
A pub in North Devon has withdrawn from the Government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' scheme after being "beyond busy" since it started on Monday.
The owners of Westleigh Inn near Bideford said while they support the incentive to boost business after the pandemic, it was not practical to introduce it during the summer.
They have pulled out of the scheme after a chaotic couple of days, telling customers they cannot give their "high standard of service" with the amount of customers going in.
Steph Dyer and Pete Kenwood, who run the pub, said they made the decision after serving 98 covers in just over an hour.
They have 10 indoor tables and 20 outside, but only take bookings inside due to the unpredictability of British weather.
With so many people wanting to sit outside in recent days, the volume of customers was too much for the small village pub to handle.
Steph said, "We are not a microwave 'ping' restaurant. Everything is cooked fresh and it takes time to present and serve it all properly."
According to the couple, people were waiting well over an hour for their food to arrive - falling well below their high standard of service.
They also expressed concern about social distancing and how customers could not safely keep apart when waiting to use the toilet.
Steph added, "I think the scheme is a fantastic idea and it's been really well organised - I just think the timing is completely wrong. It would have been 100 per cent better - after most of the tourists have gone home.
"We have had a huge influx of holidaymakers, which we always have in Devon and Cornwall - but this year it's busier than ever because a lot of people haven't gone abroad for their holidays."
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