insideKENT Magazine Issue 100 - August 2020 | Page 19

BACKTOBUSINESS
LIFTING LOCKDOWN AND GETTING BACK TO BUSINESS:
WELCOME BACK KENT
BY JESS MARSHALL
AS THE WORLD STARTS RECOVERING FROM THE PANDEMIC THAT BROUGHT COUNTRIES, GOVERNMENTS
AND ECONOMIES TO A GRINDING HALT, KENT HAS BEGUN TO REOPEN. NORMALITY IS NOT QUITE ON
THE CARDS JUST YET, BUT THINGS ARE DEFINITELY HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. SO, AFTER
MONTHS OF NOT BEING ABLE TO SPEND OUR MONEY ON ANYTHING BUT THE WEEKLY SHOP, IT’S
DEFINITELY TIME TO START SUPPORTING OUR COUNTY AGAIN BY GIVING SOME CORONAVIRUS SAFE
BUSINESSES A TRY. THESE BUSINESSES ARE LEADING THE WAY IN THE POST COVID-19 WORLD, MAKING
SURE ALL THEIR CUSTOMERS ARE SAFE, HAPPY AND STILL ABLE TO ENJOY THEIR SERVICES.
The Foundry Brewpub, is a hidden gem that can be found
while wandering the winding back streets of Canterbury.
Situated in the most beautiful two-storey brick building, that
once housed a cast metal factory, the vast entranceway entices
you into the unique interior, while the smell of some of
Canterbury’s finest beer wafts over you. The twinkling lights
and green hops that hang from the ceiling only add to the
whimsical feeling of stepping into The Foundry. After an
extended period of closure during lockdown, the lovely staff
are back, working as hard as possible to provide the beer
drinkers of Canterbury with hoppy ales, tart ciders and hearthitting
spirits! All the proper protocols have been implemented
to make patrons of the pub feel as happy and safe as possible,
including socially distanced tables, name and contact detail
taking, and socially distanced table service. Even before The
Foundry was allowed to re-open, they were still keeping the
good times flowing with a click and collect system to allow
people to create their very own Brewpub at home! We spoke
to the couple behind the magic; Jon and Jodie Mills, to find
out how the business had been coping and what they are doing
to ensure staff and customer safety in a post-Covid world.
“Like everywhere else, tonnes has changed here at The Foundry
BrewPub over the lockdown period. Back in March, we quickly
turned our devastation at having to close into determination
to keep going and to contribute to the efforts to fight the virus.
Jon turned his hand, and his brewing and distilling kit, to
making World Health Organisation standard hand sanitiser.
Seeing the desperate local need for this, he donated litres to
local care homes and key workers. He has continued to make
this for our reopening, providing it free on every table and
using it to clean seating areas and tables after every customer.
There won't be a much cleaner place than ours...it's 80%
proof! We are pleased to be supporting other local businesses
as they reopen, by keeping stock of the sanitiser for them to
buy and use.
“We were keen to come back positive on the 4th July,
despite our nerves. We reassured our team we were committed
to keeping them all employed, and we’re determined to
fight through this challenging time together. The team has
been fantastic at adapting to the changes brought by these
unprecedented times. We now offer a takeaway service for our
drinks and a postal service for a selection of our products,
adapting how we reach and communicate with our customers.
We are adhering to many new safety measures and protocols
to keep everyone safe, whilst maintaining a welcoming and
wonderful atmosphere inside our brewpub. We’ve been
overwhelmed with the positive feedback we’ve received and
it feels great to welcome our customers back and
share our passion!”
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