All pubs and restaurants in Kenilworth will be chomping at the bit to welcome customers for the first time in 2021 this coming week, none more so than the Almanack and the Virgins and Castle.

The new owners of the Virgins & Castle on High Street, Kenilworth have just passed the anniversary of their first year in charge, and like many other businesses, they're hoping their second year isn't a repeat of 2020.

General Manager at the Virgins & Castle, Andy Lock explained: "We're looking forward to a sunny spring in our beer garden from 12 April (fingers crossed) and opening up in full from 17 May. We completely understand if these dates get moved back.

"We would rather wait and be confident that we wouldn't have to close again and that everyone stays as healthy as possible.

"It will be great to open the doors of the pub again. To be opening up each day, working with the team, the smell of beer, the smell of food from the kitchen, listen to music and the sound of people chatting and laughing over a drink."

The Virgins and Castle has been working closely with Warwickshire County Council to make improvements to its front beer garden in time for the reopening this week.

"With the limit on trade that we're allowed to do with current government laws for hospitality, creating a new space was important to help us make the pub viable," says Andy.

The Almanack has also made preparations to ease its reopening this week.

Manager at The Almanack Kieran Vick said: "We have invested a fair bit of money in our outdoor space, with new heaters, our big umbrella outside the front and some new furniture means we can seat almost 100 people outside now, which is the most we have ever gone for.

"We are doing it properly, we are still going with all the new drinks, cocktails, and so on, all the original plans we had at the beginning of the year. Just because its outdoors, doesn't mean we aren't offering all the same things. We are still doing 100% of the Almanack."

Both pubs have been making the most of the third national lockdown by supporting local charities. The Almanack has raised £6,000 for Waverley Day Centre, the Kenilworth Centre, and Covid-19 Support Kenilworth Group.

The Virgins and Castle announced yesterday that it has partnered with the Kenilworth Lions to help with fundraising losses from the past 12 months; this on top of the support the pub has been giving to the Covid-19 group consistently during the pandemic.

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