A UK government minister has today hinted that a loophole in the “substantial meals” clause could possibly enable thousands of pubs to reopen under Tier 2 restrictions.
Under the new “tougher” three tiered regional system, announced as part of the government’s COVID Winter Plan as England’s second national lockdown comes to an end, pubs and bars sitting in Tier 2 regions currently may not provide alcohol for consumption on the premises.
Unless it’s accompanied by a “substantial meal”, that is.
As per the current three tiered approach, Greater Manchester has now entered into Tier 3 restrictions, meaning that all hospitality businesses in the region must close, with the exception of takeout and delivery services.
The “substantial meal” rule however – a problem that Greater Manchester sadly knows all too well after grappling with the same situation under previous Tier 3 restrictions – means that thousands of ‘wet’ pubs in Tier 2 locations across the country have had to temporarily close doors.
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But now, Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has today appeared to pose a possible solution during an interview on Sky News this morning.
Mr Williamson said that drinkers could not order themselves takeaways to meet the substantial meal requirement, but when pressed by Kay Burley if it would be ok for pub landlords to order takeaways for customers instead, he said: “I am sure that would be the case”.
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A pint of your finest and a takeaway please barman?
Education Secretary @GavinWilliamson seems to suggest so-called wet pubs could serve customers as long as the landlord provides a substantial meal, in the form of a takeaway, with any alcohol.
Kay Burley then continued to follow up on the topic further, asking: “What if they don’t sell food on the premises, can you order a takeaway?”
Mr Williamson replied: “It’s got to be a substantial meal but pubs have really got to be providing that meal.”
Pushed by the presenter again, questioning: “What if the landlord buys it?”, Mr Williamson replied: “Well if the pub is providing that meal via the landlord I am sure that would be the case.
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“But it’s about the pub providing the substantial meal with the alcohol.”
UPDATE: This morning, the Minister Gavin Williamson has given some hope for pubs that don’t serve food in Tier 2.
The customer cannot sit and order a takeaway,
However:
The landlord or landlady can order you one and you pay them.
Gavin Williamson just told @KayBurley: "We will have defeated the virus by the spring" (scientists, please check) and that pubs can serve takeaways as a substantial meal if the landlord is ordering them. ?
The nature of comments made by the Education Secretary have understandably gone on to generate widespread conversation across social media, even generating comment from Greater Manchester’s Night Time Economy Advisor.
Sacha Lord branded Mr Williamson’s comments as “helpful, but ridiculous at the same time”.
Sky News presenter Kay Burley herself even seemed to express surprise at the minister’s admission, responding to Mr Williamson saying: “But the landlord could order the takeaway for you, that’s interesting.”
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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The shop where people queue OVERNIGHT for viral toys is coming to Trafford Centre
There’s a viral shop in Manchester where people queue for hours to get their hands on viral toys, and it’s now making its way to the Trafford Centre.
After already taking Manchester by storm when it initially opened back in March this year, viral toy shop Pop Mart now has its sights set on another new spot in one of the North West’s most iconic and popular shopping malls.
Known for stocking all the latest viral collectable crazes, Pop Mart is set to open its second Manchester site at none other than the Trafford Centre (TC) and will definitely bring in the same queues as its Market Street predecessor.
The Chinese toy and collectable shop has become in high demand for stocking just one certain toy character: Labubu
This cheeky toy character is quite a marmite topic for some, with many finding the plush toys to be cute and cuddly, while others deem Labubu ‘monsters’ to be a bit creepy and off-putting.
Are we pulling from an internal office debate? Maybe…
Regardless, Labubu are widely recognisable around the world, famed for their bunny-like ears and big, wide eyes; soft, shiny fur and, most notably, a large smile with their teeth on display.
It seems everyone is after one of these Labubu character toys, with Mancs making their commute to work through the city centre, startled by the sheer length of the queues at Pop Mart.
There’s a huge amount of Labubu characters to collect.Labubu has blown up online and will now be stocked across two Pop Mart locations across Greater Manchester.Credit: Pop Mart
One social media user even commented, “I went past on the tram at 7.30 this morning and there were half a dozen people in the queue already!”
Trends may come and go, but it seems this latest viral craze is here to stay as it’s now having a second resurgence thanks to lots of celebrity endorsements, including Love Island star Olivia Attwood.
We’re sure the Trafford Centre venue will be just as healthily stocked.
At present, there’s no official opening date for Pop Mart’s Trafford Centre store besides the ‘Coming Soon’ signage outside the shop front, but we’re sure it won’t be too long before you can get your next Labubu fix – we wouldn’t be surprised to see even more Greater Manchester locations follow.
Just to pre-empt any Manchester United fans fearing they’re still in total delirium the next time they see that iconic red shirt, we can confirm it isn’t just your rose-tinted glasses deceiving you – the club will be wearing a special one-off shirt with a notable difference very soon.
All eyes may now be on Wednesday, 21 May but this limited edition kit has already caught the eye of many supporters for one very obvious reason.
In case you haven’t seen it for yourselves already, Man United have confirmed that both the men’s and women’s squads will be will be wearing a slight variation on their home shirt for their next two matches as part of a special campaign for an important charitable cause.
Joining forces with their usual primary shirt sponsors Snapdragon and global health campaigners Product RED, this one-off alternative strip will be unveiled on the pitch this week.
Product Red, or simply (RED) as it will read on the jersey itself, is a worldwide charity that’s been working to fight global health crises since 2006.
(RED)’s key aim is to end the AIDS epidemic and related injustices by raising money for the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria.
The organisation officially partnered with the club and Snapdragon back in January in an effort to help drive awareness and generate further backing for their work – it just so happens that teaming up with one the planet’s biggest brands and one synomyous with that colour made for the perfect collaboration.
With that in mind, putting together a one-off Man United kit with (RED) slap bang in the middle as is close to a commercial/charitable tap-in as you’re probably ever going to get.
Set to be debuted by Manchester United Women in their WSL fixutre against Arsenal this Saturday, 10 May and then again by Ruben Amorim’s side in the Premier League the following day (Sun, 11 May); plus, a select few limited edition replicas shirts will be made available for fans to purchase.
Be first in the know, Reds 👀
Get notified when our limited-edition @RED collection drops ⤵️#MUFC || @Snapdragon
It goes without saying that given the nature of the front-of-shirt sponsor swap, these will no doubt become somewhat of a special item among kit collectors from the off.
More importantly, however, the funds raised through selling these one-off Man United shirts will provide much-needed income for the non-profit and their crucial efforts.
The unveiling of the comes not long after the bedlam that ensued inside Old Trafford during the second leg against Athletic Club, in which United booked their return trip back to Bilbao for the Europa League final, leaving plenty of fans of seeing nothing but the colour red ever since.
MUWFC also sealed their spot in the Women’s Champions League next season to with an important point in the Manchester Derby this past weekend, confirming a finish above Man City this year.
Safe to say it’s been a good few days to be a (RED).
The Manc -
3rd December 2020 
