There’s no question that the pandemic is drastically impacting the way UK businesses operate, particularly out of home businesses which are either temporarily closing in line with lockdown measures, or adapting their set-up in order to meet new consumer demands and help their community through the pandemic….

…In this blog-post, we will shine a light on just some of the amazing local and national businesses that have adjusted their operations in order to to protect their business, their customers, and of course, the wider community as the UK enters week 5 of lockdown.

Local (Wiltshire) campaigns and new initiatives:

Local beer, gin, and vodka experts, Ramsbury Brewery, has switched production in their distillery to create an alcohol sanitiser. As well as being available for the general public to purchase via their website, the brand are also filling 5-litre mini kegs to go out to hospitals, care homes and to Wiltshire Police.

Packaging Not Included – the Zero waste shop in Marlborough – are succeeding with their new ‘click and collect’ service which allows local customers to purchase organic fruit, veg, bread, dry ingredients and household cleaning  without any plastic! Each order is instead being packed into paper bags/jars.

Foodservice meat, poultry and fish specialists, Coopers Foods, has expanded their offering to include domestic deliveries, in order to meet soaring consumer food demands during this time. Orders are available for collection/delivery, plus, a 5% discount will be granted to NHS staff.

Rays Ice Cream, Swindon/Royal Wootton Bassett is helping customers cool off with their ‘big night in’ ice cream bundle. Including four tubs of ice-cream, cones, flakes and delicious toppings, this delicious bundle can be delivered to the doors of local customers.

Honesty Group have been inspiring the public by posting baking tips/tricks and recipes on their social media channels. Their latest post talks about using leftovers to create a hearty bread and butter pudding dish!

They are also using their Saddleback Farmshop as a base for ‘click and collect’ orders and have been delivering to members of the community that are self-isolating.

The Marlborough Pub are offering a takeaway menu with a generous 25%off for NHS staff. This mouth-watering, multi-cultural menu really has something for every customer: from curries to pasta, and burgers to brownies!

Nationwide campaigns and new initiatives:‍

#FeedNHS – This initiative,which is spearheaded by natural fast-food brand Leon, and actors Damian Lewis,Helen McCrory and Matt Lucas, is working with Mealforce, Feed our Frontline and BaxterStorey to co-ordinate the provision of food for NHS critical care teams. Areas covered will be London, Aberdeen, Glasgow and Edinburgh,with ongoing discussions to expand to Manchester, Birmingham, Brighton and Cardiff.

#BuyTheNHSaPint – Ten independent breweries from across the UK have joined forces to reward NHS workers with a pint post-lockdown.

Theparticipating breweries are: Fyne Ales (Scotland), Wylam (North East),Cloudwater (North West), North Brewing Co (Yorkshire), Verdant, and Left Handed Giant (South West), Deya (West Midlands), Duration (East Anglia), Gipsy Hill(South East) and Boundary (Northern Ireland).

#LockdownLoafers – This crowd-sourced platform of advice, set up by the Real Bread, is helping home-bakers carry on getting creative in the kitchen, even if they are struggling to get their hands on key ingredients such as flour and eggs.‍

#WokFromHome – Wagamama has launched a free video series to teach people how to cook some of its staple dishes, such as chicken katsu curry and yaki soba. These live cooking lessons are being led by the pan Asian restaurant chain’s executive chef,Steve Mangleshot.

#HereToDeliver - Deliveroo is fundraising to help bring free meals to incredible NHS workers. Once a customer has donated towards a meal, Deliveroo will then organise the delivery to NHS workers and vulnerable members of the community.

The above are just a few examples of the many UK businesses/groups that are rising to the challenges conjured by Covid-19. Their various, proactive approaches to the pandemic are truly inspiring and should be taken on board by all that wish to crisis-proof their business, and of course, support our nation that is adapting to life at home.