'Most people don't even realise that there's a lockdown in Wales'

As England is set to be engulfed in another total lockdown, Wales is in the grips of a 17-day, so-called firebreak. 

Just as was the case in March, residents have been asked not to leave their homes unless absolutely necessary, and pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops have been required to shut.

Supermarkets were instructed to stop selling non-essential items, and travel was restricted except for a limited set of reasons - such as work and education.

"We're doing takeaways and trying to plod on," said Matthew Dawkins, chef and owner of The Castle Inn in Usk, Monmouthshire. Having switched the award-winning pub's business model to make this possible during the UK-wide lockdown in March, he explained that it was less about turning a profit than sustaining the team to the best of their ability.

"We're just trying to do something to keep going," he said.

"With the takeaways, we were doing really well in the five-month lockdown," he explained, as he and his wife had help from their family to keep things running while the team was on furlough. 

For chef Shaun Hill, who took on The Walnut Tree thirteen years ago with partner William Griffiths, and successfully regained the 50 year-old restaurant's Michelin star, the firebreaker isn't as much of a strain as the four months during which the restaurant was closed in the summer. 

What's most striking about their current predicament, he believes, is that "most people don't even realise that there's a lockdown in Wales." 

"There are aspects of the lockdown that are certainly no worse than what it was before," he said, as high-risk areas in South Wales already had to abide by strict restrictions for weeks beforehand, nor were people from London, Birmingham, Manchester allowed to enter into Wales.

"That's most of your half term business." 

"So once you've got that, two metres social distancing and everybody out at 10 o'clock, you're just left wondering what little pieces of dog shit they're going to put in your way." 

"In some respects, a complete lockdown is easier," he said, as "if you have to close, at least you get some help with wages." 

What's more, he said, "this time, we had a little bit more notice," as coinciding with half-term was always the plan, and a leaked letter made it to the press so businesses were given a fair warning. 

"At least I didn't order a load of bloody food that I have to bin or freeze." 

What next?

Wales may have the last laugh yet, as despite reluctances from the centralised government when the firebreak was decided upon last month, an earlier crackdown to curb the spread of the virus could be condusive to a more smooth winter.

From November 9th, hospitality businesses in Wales will be allowed to reopen, though it is unclear under what circumstances. Travel restrictions will be lifted within the Welsh borders, but travel from England will not be allowed, potentially jeopardising Shaun's ability to fulfill his normal duties. 

"I don't have a ceremonial role," he said, "I shake the pans and cook stuff." 

But when it comes to compensation for lost trade, not being aligned with the English government could be costly. Both restaurants managed to break even during the summer thanks to the furlough scheme, but the future is less than certain.

"I don't have any answers long term," Shaun said. "I just sit there and wait for whatever the next unpleasantness is looms along. 

"I think most politicians are the same," he laughed. "It's the pretense of certainty - a little humility would go down a storm." 

"I don't blame them - I just wish them and these alleged scientists would come up and say, 'well we don't bloody know, we're hoping for the best, we're hoping this does some good." 

Not only has the industry had to be very adaptable, but the current situation "is akin to quicksand", in that it is uncertain, but one thing is for sure - it's going to be an ongoing struggle.

"We've been trying to work on our Christmas menu and that's all ready," Matthew said. 

"We worked really hard on it and all of that is going to come back and bite us in the face because I just can't see Christmas happening." 

With heated Gazebos out back, the chef hopes government will be lenient when it comes to reservations, allowing groups of six.

"We are going to be doing deliveries, because a lot of our parties, the local fire service, the local prison, they all come to us every year, tables of forty or fifty. 

The community is everything to them, he explained: "we try and do our best for them and we all try and work together." 

"If everyone works together, we should hopefully be on top at the end," Matthew said.

Shaun echoed this sentiment, and said: "It's crap for everybody, and we're all more or less in the same boat really." 

Speaking before news of an English lockdown came to light - but shortly after the French government implemented one - he said: "The one thing that you can rely on is that those who make the decisions haven't got the faintest clue what they're doing." 

"The truth is, we really don't know what happens next, there's always a lot of talk about cures and vaccines but there's just a lot of uncertainty about it - I'm pretty sure the politicians have their fingers and toes crossed that there's something that bails them all out before the country goes bankrupt, but I don't know."