AS Wellington’s pubs, clubs, restaurants, cafes, gyms and sports centres locked up on Friday night under Government instructions, many other retailers and businesses were also taking their own decisions to close or change the way they operate.

Many food businesses were moving to a pre-ordered takeaway model of business, including cafe owner Rachel Hawkings, who delighted one customer when she was told: “There will be cake, there will still be cake.”

Rachel, who has run Rachel’s Café in Lancer Court for the past ten years, said: “We make our own cakes and so we will still be offering them as takeaway, and also hot meals and meals to reheat.

“I do not know yet exactly how I will do it as I am still trying to work it out but hopefully I will get it figured this week. I think we all knew it was coming, but we did not expect it so quick, none of us were really prepared for it.”

Former Dolphin Inn landlady Anna Madams has now experienced the highs and lows of business in the short space of a fortnight, only opening her vegan food cafe Plantside, in High Street, on March 4, and then being forced to close it on Friday.

Anna, who also has an event catering business Vegan To You, is another who will offer a pre-ordered takeaway service during the temporary closure.

In a message to customers posted in the cafe window, she said: “We will also be spending time getting our amazing but currently overgrown garden ready for customers when the time is right.”

Supermarkets were reducing their opening hours and setting aside an hour on most days when they would only allow elderly and vulnerable customers to do their shopping.

The Co-op, in Fore Street, for instance, has made 8am to 9am on weekdays and 10am to 11am on Sundays a priority shopping hour for the vulnerable and those who care for them.

A similar scheme was put in place by the Waitrose supermarket for the first hour of the day but there was some confusion for customers on Saturday because posters declaring the store was open only for priority shoppers were not removed during ‘ordinary’ shopping hours.

For the full story see this week’s Wellington Weekly News.