It’s safe to say it’s been a strange few months. The coronavirus is unlike anything we have seen before and has impacted every aspect of our personal and professional lives. So where does this leave the Mobile bar hire industry?

At the time of writing this post, the world is essentially on lockdown and we are doing our best (most of us, anyway) to prevent further spread of the coronavirus. Not only has this had a huge impact on the way we live our everyday lives, but also affected every industry. Throughout March we received several guidelines regarding social distancing and isolation, until March 20th when the PM announced pubs, bars, cafes and other such establishments would shut up shop for now.

For mobile bar hire companies such as Cocktails and Bar Events, we were initially somewhat in limbo — and still are in some regards — as to what this would mean for our bar hire services. In this post, we’ll discuss COVID-19’s impact on our industry.

Impact on the Drinks Industry  with Mobile Bar Hire

China accounts for around 35% of the world’s luxury goods sales and is the UK’s seventh-largest trading partner outside the EU. Food and drink exports to it are up by £64.6m year on year, which is the most significant increase in more than twenty years. In the last five years, food and drink exports from mobile bar hire to the country have more than doubled, up from under £260m in 2013 to more than £620m in 2018. So you can imagine the losses businesses related to the drinks industry will experience.

To provide the most prestigious and bespoke service possible, our bartenders need to have access to the best bartending supplies and, of course, the ingredients to make delicious drinks. The impact on import and export will play a role in the overall effect the pandemic has on industries such as bar hire — as well as establishments such as pubs and restaurants.

For Now, Large Events and Gatherings Are a No-No

In the early stages of the pandemic, people were unsure how much of an impact it would really have. They were therefore still booking bar hire services for events such as weddings, corporate events and other special occasions. This was because the early advice was to avoid gatherings of more than 200-250 people. But for now — due to the volume of deaths in the UK as well as the need to maintain isolation protocols — such events are on hold until it is safe for everyone even partying with mobile bar hire.

As you can imagine, for bar hire companies such as us, providing bespoke services for events with mobile bar hire, it could prove to be a challenging period. But by providing a high-quality service that has gained us a stellar reputation, we still maintain a lot of interest in the various services we offer. While it’s unclear how long this situation will last, many customers have weddings and other important events scheduled for the end of 2020 — so it’s our job to ensure we are ready and prepared to accommodate their needs.

So, What Now?

Well, that is the big question everyone is asking themselves at the moment. It’s unheard of for the world to be in a situation where the plan is to sit tight until further instruction. But unfortunately, that’s exactly what we have to do. The crucial thing to keep in mind is this will blow over and life will be back to normal — hopefully sooner rather than later. In the meantime, if you have events planned for the near future or want to enquire about our bar hire services to make sure you’re booked up before business is booming again — don’t hesitate to get in touch for hiring a mobile bar hire.

Do you want to know more about our bar hire services or our policies regarding COVID-19? Get in touch today to discuss your needs with one of our team members.