Covid-19 Message from Chef Alain Roux

We closed our doors on Friday 20th March 2020 in line with the Government directive along with all my colleagues throughout the hospitality sector 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 be continuously reviewing our procedures and restaurant capacity.  For the moment we can only accept restaurant reservations for lunch and dinner for either 2, 3 or 4 people / private dining for no more than 6 people.  We will be staggering arrival times to aid us maintain the social distancing.  

Social distancing restrictions have a huge impact in the size of the chef brigade 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 only offer 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 were 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 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 have to stop 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 you need to cancel or amend your booking less than 7 days prior to arrival due to Covid-19 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 every member of staff is being undertaken prior to reopening.  Staff will be wearing protective gloves and 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.  We will be making available our full risk assessment and implemented measures via our COVID-19 page on our website.

Our housekeeping team have always had the highest standards of cleaning, but we will be taking extra steps to ensure that all areas are thoroughly sanitised, clean and compliant.  We will be allowing a 48hour rest period between room bookings.  We are amending our check-in time to 4pm to assist in this and to avoid a possible clash between lunch guests leaving and hotel guests arriving.  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 guests’s toilets.  

Social distancing and the physical environs of The Waterside Inn building mean that sitting at the bar for a drink is not possible in the short term as we cannot guarantee a safe route for our guests and staff.  Rest assured the moment we can reinstate this we shall do.  We have also taken the difficult decision to suspend the use of our boat for trips on the river but we are happy to recommend www.privateboathire.co.uk .  Should you decide to arrive by boat this is still acceptable.  Sadly we will not be able to offer valet parking in the short term but Olivier, our doorman, 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.  Prior to arrival we will ask you for your card details to store on your bedroom reservation.  Once you have checked in your card will be debited for the full amount of your room charge.  At the end of evening you will be presented with the dinner bill, as any other restaurant guest would be, for payment whilst at your table.  Your final room and restaurant bill will be placed in a sealed envelope and placed on your breakfast tray for you to keep for your records.

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 for going over to them.  We want all our guests to feel as comfortable and relaxed as it 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