Sat Bains, the chef and owner of two Michelin-Starred Restaurant Sat Bains in Nottingham, said the idea of having no reservation in the coming months was a frightening prospect and that there could be major risks to opening the restaurant too soon.

“I don’t want to be a doomsayer, but I’m being cautious because the one thing I don’t want is to open and then subsequently have to close again.” Bains said, noting that everything is on hold with the risk of a second wave. The celebrity chef added that he would open the restaurant in mid-August if everything went well while considering the opening date for August or September. “It’s both a sad and stressful time, but by remaining closed for now we have a very rare opportunity to look at what we do in the restaurant and reflect on certain elements of the experience. And it’s giving us as a team the chance to think about how we can do it better” the successful chef told Big Hospitality.