Covid-19 Message from Chef Alain Roux

We closed our doors on Friday 20th March 2020 in line with Government advice, along with all my hospitality sector colleagues, to keep our staff and guests safe from the Coronavirus.  I am delighted to announce that following the Prime Minister’s statement on 23rd June we plan to reopen The Waterside Inn on Wednesday 8th July 2020 for lunch, dinner and rooms.

Initially we will be operating with a reduced number of tables in the restaurant so availability is extremely limited.  Due to the constantly changing nature of this guidance, we will keep our procedures and restaurant capacity under review.  For the moment, we can only accept restaurant reservations for lunch and dinner for 2 to 6 / private dining for no more than 10 people.  We will be staggering arrival times to help maintain social distancing.  

Social distancing restrictions have impacted the number of chefs we can employ in the kitchen at any one time.  We want you to have the best culinary experience it is possible to give you, and for this reason we have decided to offer only a restricted a la carte menu at lunch and dinner.  There will be no lunch menu of the day or tasting menu.  If you wish to view the dishes we are proposing, please follow this link to view the menu online https://www.waterside-inn.co.uk/the_cuisine/current_menus/ If you are intending to use a gift voucher for either the lunch menu of the day or the tasting menu, we are happy to credit the monetary value of your voucher towards your final bill. 

If you have a confirmed booking for a room and restaurant based on one of our Signature Experiences, you will be able to convert the tasting menu to 3 courses from the restricted a la carte menu.  Should this not be your preference you are welcome to contact our Reservations team to arrange a postponement of your booking but at the moment we do not know when we will be able to reintroduce the Menu Exceptionnel.  Sadly we will be unable to offer the kitchen tour which is part of our Signature Experience Deluxe for obvious reasons.

Bedroom reservations can be cancelled up to 7 days prior to the arrival date and a full deposit refund will be made.  If your cancellation is due to the need to self-isolate because of covid-19 symptoms, we can either transfer your booking to a later date, convert your deposit to a gift voucher with 18 months validity, or offer you a full refund.

I would like to assure you that all government guidelines and best practices are being implemented and necessary risk assessments will be certified to validate our procedures.  All practices and procedures will be updated in line with government guidelines.  Full training of each member of staff is being undertaken prior to reopening.  Staff will be regularly washing their hands, using hand sanitiser and wearing masks as well as taking a temperature check each morning before clocking in for work.  Anyone exhibiting signs of Covid-19 will not be allowed onto the premises.  All guests will be invited to use hand sanitiser as they enter The Waterside Inn.  Our full risk assessment is available upon request.

Our housekeeping team has always worked to the highest standards of cleaning, but we will be taking extra steps to ensure that all areas are thoroughly and continuously sanitised, clean and compliant.  We are amending our check-in time to 4pm to assist in this and to avoid pinch points between lunch guests leaving and hotel guests arriving.  We have decommissioned "La Cuisine" and honesty bar but we are happy to offer room service for tea, coffee and drinks after you check in.  We will not be able to offer a turndown service in the evening, nor are we be able to offer maid service to guests staying more than 1 night.  Hand sanitisers will be available for staff and guest to use at every opportunity.  There will be a dedicated member of the team overseeing the cleaning of the guest toilet facilities.  

Sadly we are unable to offer valet parking in the short term but Olivier, our valet, will be on duty to show guests where they may park.  You will need to be responsible for your own car key.  Cloakroom space is very limited so we would ask guests, weather permitting, to leave their coats and jackets in the car.

Checking in and out of our accommodation is going to be adapted to reduce the amount of time at Reception.  At the end of the evening you will be presented with the dinner bill and room bill for payment whilst at your table.  .

It goes without saying that we are all in this together and I know that we can count on all our guests to take similar responsibility for their own safety.  You will be invited to use the hand sanitizer at Reception on arrival and in the public areas.  Should you see friends in the restaurant at another table, we must ask that you refrain from going over to them.  We want all our guests to feel as comfortable and relaxed as possible in the dining room.

If you have any concerns or questions you do not feel have been adequately covered in this message please contact our Reservations team by email reservations@waterside-inn.co.uk

My team and I look forward to seeing you at The Waterside Inn.

Best wishes

Alain Roux, Chef Patron