One of the country’s biggest pub groups has confirmed they will stay open for the Queen’s funeral. Taking place on Monday, 19 September, the day of the funeral has been confirmed as a Bank Holiday by King Charles.
Stonegate, which has more than 70 sites in Manchester including The Beech Inn, The Metropolitan and Oxnoble, has said its branches will stay open to ‘honour her life and service’. It joins a number of other large pub chains keeping their pubs open to allow people to “share memories and pay their respects”.
In a statement shared with The Caterer, a spokesperson for Stonegate Group said: "The passing of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II is a momentous and sombre occasion. We send our deepest condolences to the Royal Family at this sad time.
“Our managed pubs, bars and venues remain open and, where possible, will show the funeral on Monday 19 September to honour her life and service."
The ten-day period of national mourning for the Queen will come to a close after the funeral has taken place, ending the pause on Parliament and public-facing Government activity. On the day of the state funeral, schools and offices are expected to close as the nation pays tribute to its longest-serving monarch.
While government guidance has stated that there is “no obligation” to suspend business during the ten-day mourning period, businesses are being urged to be sensitive to workers' wishes. The official guidance states: “The government cannot interfere in existing contractual arrangements between employers and workers.
“However, we would expect that many workers will be able to take the day off on the bank holiday. We also expect employers to respond sensitively to requests from workers who wish to take the day of the funeral off work.”
Greene King, which has 20 sites in Manchester including Lass O’Gowrie, Royal Oak and Trevor Arms, also confirmed its branches would be operating as normal, to allow “communities to gather to mourn and reflect on the life of the Queen”. The pub group said it would be confirming which Greater Manchester sites would be affected in the coming days.
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