Prince William dropped into a Norfolk pub for a plate of chips and a glass of cider, to find out how it was gearing up to reopen on Saturday.
He visited the Rose and Crown at Snettisham, a few miles from his country retreat at Anmer Hall, where he has been seeing out the coronavirus outbreak with his wife the Duchess of Cambridge and their three young children.
Jeannette and Anthony Goodrich, who took over as landlords 25 years ago, spoke to the prince about the challenges that the business has faced throughout lockdown, such as needing to furlough staff members and to apply for additional financial support.
“He was really interested and he wanted to understand what kind of measures we’ve had to take to prepare for reopening,” said Mrs Goodrich. “He didn’t just want to speak to us. He spoke to Lucy Heffer, duty manager and Phil Milner, head chef.
“We were talking about how we’re going to move on from this stage of lockdown, with lots of different rules.
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“And we talked about the implications lockdown has had for families, He said they’ve been very lucky, they’ve been in Norfolk all the time, they’ve had space and sunshine. He realised how difficult it’s been for people in cities.”
Mrs Goodrich said the prince was “well-informed” and interested in the economic impacts of closing a business like the Rose and Crown. The prince enjoyed a plate of chips with sachets of sauce during his 45-minute visit, washed down with a glass of cider, before he left pub staff to carry on with their preparations.
MORE - Seaside attractions set to reopen as lockdown easesMrs Goodrich said customers returning on Saturday would have their temperatures checked and have to give their names and telephone numbers, although they could also sign up for a VIP card to avoid having to give their details every visit.
Table layouts have been changed and the front two bars will be reserved for people who only wish to drink. A marquee has been erected in the garden, where the children’s play area has been fenced off.
“The Rose and Crown has been with us for 600 years, it’s not going to disappear now,” said Mrs Goodrich. “We’ve got a loyal following that’s going to see us though, we’ll still be the jolly old Rose and Crown.”
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