As a judge for the Great British Pub Awards, I was privileged to spend some time at the end of August travelling the country and seeing some of the best the pub trade has to offer.

After 18 months of lockdowns and regulations it seemed to me that while some things have changed forever, underneath it all, thankfully, the essence of the pub remains.

It’s great that we can order at the bar again. It’s an important part of the informal social mingling that makes a visit to the pub. But it’s likely table service and ordering by app will continue at many places because there are people who like the convenience.

Customers have, in general, come to expect higher standards of service and, after being able to experiment when buying online, a wider range of drinks, too.

The thing that most stood out on my visits, though, was the transformation of outdoor areas.

When indoor drinking and dining weren’t possible under the rules, good pubs that weren’t entirely landlocked expanded and developed outdoor areas, in some cases converting car parks into beer gardens and adding comfortable seating, al fresco bars, marquees and weather-proof television screens.

Sadly, it’s true, too many pubs have not had the space and resources to be able to adapt, but those that have bounced out of the Covid crisis in a surprisingly healthy state.

Forest Gate’s Holly Tree was reopened by new owner Remarkable Pubs a few months before lockdown with a landscaped garden circled by a miniature railway – an indulgence of Remarkable MD and train enthusiast Robert Thomas that proved a stroke of genius when business resumed.

“Because they were looking for somewhere with a garden, a lot of people discovered the pub for the first time,” said Holly Tree manager Laura Field.

“We were crazily busy. We have a 600 capacity indoors and out, and we’re full every Saturday and Sunday. We not only kept all our staff, we had to double the size of the teams to provide table service.

“The railway draws a lot of people because it’s different and fun. We had three gents come down from Carlisle to see it the other day!”

And beer gardens are no longer just for summer. The Holly Tree has introduced extra awnings and heaters, and it’s looking forward to welcoming families outdoors this Christmas with festively-themed train rides and a Santa’s grotto.

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