The Huntsman Carvery in Dunchurch had to close at the weekend because too many members of staff were in Covid-19 self isolation.

It’s the first time during the 18 months of the pandemic the restaurant has had to close completely.

More people are being instructed to self isolate as Covid-19 cases continue to rise.

The BBC reported ‘recent figures showed more than 500,000 people in England and Wales were "pinged" by the NHS Covid app in the week to 7 July, up 46% on the previous week.

People who have come into contact with someone who has tested positive for Covid-19 must self-isolate for 10 days.

The Huntsman Carvery posted on their Facebook page: “So close to the end, it is extremely hard for us to make this decision, but it is the only thing we can do in this situation…

“To our fully booked restaurant tonight and tomorrow, we can only apologise, and it feels like we have let you down, but please understand that we only do this because we absolutely must.

“To our reliable takeaway customers who have been keeping us busy for what feels like forever, we hate to let you down, and would like to thank you for your support over the last year.

“To our amazing staff here, we would like to say thanks very much for being so careful so far, we have survived this far together, and we are determined to keep going after this, but we will be making sure that you are all safe before we do anything...

“We don't want pity or Facebook likes- what would really help is bookings and support for the future, so if you are thinking of coming in, then now is the time to make your plans, or even buy a voucher for yourself or as a gift. We are a small independent restaurant that will miss out on a busy weekend, but we value our staff and customers too highly to do anything else!”

A spokesperson for the carvery said they were hoping to reopen for sit-in and takeaway bookings on Saturday 24th July 2021.

To make a booking visit Huntsmancarvery.co.uk, email thehuntsmancarvery@gmail.com or call 01788 811748.