Hello everyone
We had three Colonels and a fitness coach last night, there is a joke here somewhere?! Phil, the fitness coach, has helped with our “Serving You Well Team Well being” programme. In our old world he used to come in and do exercise sessions with the team, he’s coached on work life balance, stretching classes and diet tips which are all on our team training platform. It feels like a lifetime ago, that we could dedicate time to projects like this.
I was saying how much we were all struggling. In truth, it’s really tough. (please see my full blog here. It’s not fluffy reading). Having to wear the masks created a fear that we’ve just not been getting enough oxygen. He brilliantly said it’s more a mental challenge having our noses and faces covered than an actual breathing less oxygen issue. Clearly we’re all a little dehydrated as we’re drinking less, as our mouths are covered, which is something we’re very mindful of and are trying to resolve.
He got me thinking about the Channel 4 SAS Who Dares Wins programme. People being taken to their limits. This new world feels like that programme. We’re being faced with unexpected challenges that we’ve not been trained to deal with. If you’re trained you can do anything. Positive mindset. I get it and I live by it. You achieve the best results when you have a plan and work towards it. If you have a mission you can focus and succeed.
Our team’s world has really changed significantly. The general public aren’t aware of the many many changes they have had to deal with. The hardest part for most is they are missing their families. Our team is largely European and their families are in Italy, France, Poland etc. They’ve not had their usual holidays and with travel so uncertain and the risk of quarantine is leaving them all very anxious. Even tiny changes, like removing music from our venues, have had a massive impact on our general awareness and well being. At waiting team hearing level every little noise is amplified.
We’ve been trained for years to work in a particular way, in a particular environment and the public know and have moulded that space. We’re now having to work in a very different environment and it’s taking all our energy to keep up with the changes and keep the public up to speed with what the new “safer” environment is. What has made this harder is the government has given us a guidebook but not a rule book and there are massive inconsistencies across the country.
With visitors from around Britain and Europe enjoying their staycation this has become very apparent.
We have struggled the most at breakfast service where the pace for coffee service does not align with the time we need to be Covid compliant. So we are sorry but until social distancing is relaxed we will only be serving breakfast at Contini George Street and drinks service on the terrace between 3pm and 5pm. At The Scottish Cafe, in our coffee lounge, we will have an “at table order app” where you can self order and we will be happy to serve coffee (and of course our beautiful cakes and scones) every day here from 11am to 4pm.
Remember please book online, if you can, it means we don’t need to ask for your details for Trace & Protect.
The very good news withThe Scottish Cafe being openis all but one of our remaining team are off furlough. Wow, that feels good. By freeing up the team,we’re now opening on Mondays at Contini George Street.Book herefor Eat Out to Help Out dining on Mondays at both venues.
Thank you for all your support, all your patience and all your love.
We look forward to seeing you. Keep well and keep safe
Junior Covid Cadette Carina (I’m in training!)
