From 18 September it became mandatory to request Test & Trace information from customers, and we wanted to provide you with all of the latest information published by the government, as well as pointing to the new requirements for pubs and clubs to support the government’s new Test & Trace app from 24 September.
The British Beer & Pub Association, UK Hospitality and the British Institute of Innkeeping have published joint guidance for pubs on Test & Trace, which you can read here, and has a frequently asked questions section.
Mandatory Test & Trace
- The official regulations for this are publicly available here.
- The guidance we have received on this from the British Beer & Pub Association is that the requirement is that you must take the contact details from one member of each group. However, if you are supporting the government’s Test & Trace app then each customer would need to scan a QR code with their smartphone (see below for more information on the Test & Trace app).
- See also page 14 of the updated COVID-19 secure guidance from government for restaurants, pubs, bars and takeaways.
- This guidance states: “Continued opening up of the economy is reliant on NHS Test and Trace being used to minimise transmission of the virus. In order to ensure that businesses are able to remain open, you must ask one member of every party who visit your premises to provide their contact details to assist NHS Test and Trace. Refuse entry to those who refuse to provide contact details.”
- Because it is mandatory to take customer’s contact details, you must now also be able to accommodate people who do not have a smartphone and cannot scan a QR code.
- Therefore this is likely to mean either having a pen and paper solution or a booking-only system so that you take customer details when they pre-book. This data should be held for a 21-day period.
- However, with any customer contact details please be mindful of the GDPR ramifications and ensure that you do not use the information to contact customers. You only need to store it in case you are asked to provide it to local health authorities.
NHS Test & Trace app and QR code
- The government is launching a new NHS COVID-19 app on 24 September. You can read this announcement here. This will allow NHS Test and Trace to contact customers directly with public health advice should there be a COVID-19 outbreak linked to a venue they recently visited.
- The government has asked for hospitality venues including pubs to download QR codes to prepare for a public rollout of the new system.
- Pubs should following this link here to create a unique QR that can then be displayed around the pub for customers to scan on entry.
- If you are using your own QR system already, the government is encouraging you to switch to the NHS Test and Trace QR code – although there still needs to be a way of collecting data for people without a smartphone.
- When someone enters a venue and scans an official QR poster, the venue information will be logged on the user’s phone. This information will stay on a user’s phone for 21 days and if during that time a coronavirus outbreak is identified at a location, the venue ID in question will be sent to all devices. The device will check if users have been at that location and if the app finds a match, users may get an alert with advice on what to do based on the level of risk.
- It is important to support this as part of ensuring your pub remains COVID-secure and demonstrates to local authorities the actions you are taking to keep teams and customers safe.
- To clarify as there could be some confusion here: the government is mandating that you must request the contact details of at least one member of each group to visit you. However, if people are using the government’s QR code that links in with the NHS COVID-19 app then each member of the party with a smartphone would need to scan the QR code to get the updates.
Please find below some useful guides and videos to help you on reopening your outlet from Cellar to Bar.
We look forward to working together with you on the return journey and should you have any questions or concerns on this then please do not hesitate to contact your Sales Development Manager or our Customer Sales/Care Team on 0345 600 1799/ 0345 850 4545.
Reopening Your Cellar
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Why do we need to do this?
Beer dispense systems have never been designed with long shut down periods in mind. Carrying out the hibernation maintenance is an important part in preparing for a smooth reopening.
IMPORTANT – Lines should be cleaned first then purged of liquid. Under no circumstances leave the beer lines charged with either water or cleaning fluid as this can cause irrevocable damage to the system, which will result in costly, time consuming work to replace the equipment and delay the reopening of your pub.
- Turn on gas systems and check for leaks.
- Remove all sparklers to beer engines and clean separately
- Adhere to COSHH regulations when line cleaning - wear protective clothing
- Disconnect lines to casks, and remove tap washers/hop filters (to be cleaned separately)
- Prepare your line cleaning solution to manufacture’s recommended dilution.
- Fill fob detectors (if fitted) with correct strength diluted line cleaner, then pull through to the beer engines at the bar
- Soak lines for 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector (if fitted) and totally refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for another 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector (if fitted) and totally refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for a final 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector (if fitted) and totally refill each line with fresh detergent
- Rinse cleaning bottle/buckets and fill with clean, cold, fresh water
- Remove detergent from fob detectors (if fitted) with plenty of fresh water
- Remove detergent from beer lines by line volume then flush through each line with a further 10 litres of water
Secondly – To purge lines of fluid
- Empty cleaning bottles/buckets of any liquid, place lines in these
- Make sure fob detectors (if fitted) float release buttons are set to release the float
- Purge all liquid out of the fob detectors (if fitted) by using the priming buttons
- Keep pulling beer engines at the bar until air is coming out of spouts
- Placed cleaned sparklers back onto beer engines
- Connectors in the cellar should be placed in clean dry buckets or suspended in the air – They should NOT be left on the cellar floor
- All APC coolers should be switched off.
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Why Do we need to do this?
With pubs likely to be closed or restrictions placed on them for an extended period of time, it is important that regular maintenance is carried out every 3- 4 weeks to protect your dispense system, this will enable you to open and ready to serve great beer every pint.
IMPORTANT – Lines should be cleaned first then purged of liquid. Under no circumstances leave the beer lines charged with either water or cleaning fluid as this can cause irrevocable damage to the system, which will result in costly, time consuming work to replace the equipment and delay the reopening of your pub.
- Turn on gas systems and check for leaks.
- Remove all dispense tap spouts and sparklers on lines to be removed and clean separately
- Adhere to COSHH regulations when line cleaning - wear protective clothing
- Turn gas off to secondary valves, disconnect keg couplers
- Clean keg couplers before connection to cleaning sockets
- Fill cleaning bottle with water and use your line cleaner, please pay special attention to dilution recommendations.
- Fill Fob detectors with correct strength diluted line cleaner, then pull through to the dispense taps
- Soak lines for 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and totally refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for another 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and totally refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for a final 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and totally refill each line with fresh detergent
- Rinse cleaning bottle and fill with clean, cold, fresh water
- Remove detergent from fob detectors with plenty of fresh water
- Remove detergent from beer lines by volume then flush through each line with a further 10 litres of water
Secondly – To purge lines of residual fluid to prevent damage
- Empty cleaning bottles of any liquid, connect as for standard line clean
- Make sure fob detectors float release buttons are set to release the float
- Purge all liquid out of the fob detectors by using the priming buttons
- Open all taps at the bar and purge all liquid out of the lines, until mostly air comes out.
- Place cleaned spouts back onto correct taps
- Remove keg coupler from cleaning socket and dry out sockets and couplers with ‘blue roll’
- Place couplers onto cleaning socket for storage
- Ensure all beer coolers and dispense gas system are switched OFF.
Greene King Cellar Service is here to support you and your business at this difficult time. We have received a number of calls where pubs have not been able to clean their lines or carry out a full shut down due to staffing issues. We will be more than happy to talk you through the process, but we do not offer an in-house line clean service. There are a number of companies who do and we would recommend Avani Solutions.
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The aim of this restart process after shutdown is to deliver best quality beer, identify and eliminate any dispense issues before you open your doors to guests.
Dispense systems are designed to be used and can develop problems after a period of closure. It is ESSENTIAL that you check your beer quality before opening using the C.A.T.T. method:
- Clarity, beers and cider should be crystal clear bright and sparkling (unless it is meant to be cloudy)
- Aroma, beers and cider should NOT smell of TCP, bleach, chlorinated, medicinal or stagnant water.
- Taste, beers and cider should taste fresh and clean, not old, stale or chemical (as unwanted aromas above).
- Temperature, your cooling equipment is functioning if beers and ciders are dispensing at the bar at the correct temperature range
Actions to complete to get ready for beer dispense after close down
Time before opening
Action
Completed
Beer Order Date
Establish what beer, line cleaner and gas stock you require and get your order ready
Day before delivery
Thoroughly clean the cellar - floor, walls, ceilings drains/sumps, Cask stillaging.
Day before delivery
Turn on the cellar cooler, check it gets down to 11-13°C. Turn on BOC or other gas generators if installed
Start the day before delivery
Ventilate the cellar for 10 minutes daily
Start the day before delivery
Check cellar temperature daily (11-13°C)
Delivery day
Check your beer delivery in, organise your cellar
4 days
Clean all cask dispense equipment (taps, spigots, vertical extraction equipment, washers, hop filters etc.)
4 days
Strip down and thoroughly clean glass washers, refill machine with fresh water.
4 days
Regenerate external glass wash water softeners (if fitted)
4 days
Renovate/Restore all glasses
4 days
Clean all glass storage shelves and shelf matting
3 days
Start cask ale preparation
2 days
Turn beer dispense gas on and check for leaks - LISTEN!
2 days
Clean keg and cask lines that you have products for, and repeat process as products are delivered (see recommission lines after close down doc)
2 days
After keg line clean, reconnect kegs to product, check fluid levels in remote coolers and turn ON
2 days
After cask line clean, check APC fluid levels and turn ON
1 day
Check keg beer dispense quality at the bar for Clarity, Aroma, Taste and Temperature.
1 day
Check casks ales in the cellar, if okay connect cask ales, pull through to bar, check beer quality for Clarity, Aroma, Taste and Temperature
Opening Day
Final quality check of all beers (Keg and Cask) at the bar, ensure correct sparklers and creamer plates are fitted to correct taps then check dispense for Clarity, Aroma, Taste and Temperature before opening
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The Do’s and Don’ts
Do
- Adhere to COSHH (Control of Substances Hazardous to Health) regulations when line cleaning
- Always wear protective clothing (Goggles, Gloves and an Apron) when handling or using chemicals
- Display signs at the bar that line cleaning is in progress
- Have the COSHH data sheet available for the recommended line cleaner
- Complete a COSHH risk assessment for the use of the recommended line cleaner
- Store chemicals using manufacturers recommended method
- Use a fresh mix of beer line cleaner for line cleaning
- Use a measuring jug to mix line cleaner to the correct strength
- Inform all staff that line cleaning is in progress
- Use only freshly mixed detergent when line cleaning
- Allow enough time for line cleaning, at least 3-4½ hours (dependant on number of lines)
- Know the volume of each line
- Store cleaning bottles inverted between use
- Adhere to correct process steps
Don’t
- Clean lines with beer line cleaner when open
- Have beer line cleaner in any lines when open
- Re-use line cleaner from a previous clean to clean lines
- Use line cleaner either too strong of too weak
- Leave beer line cleaner in lines for longer than 1 hour
- Leave water in cleaning bottles or buckets
- Mix any chemicals together
Line Cleaning - Keg Line Cleaning Process Steps
- Inform staff that cleaning is in progress.
- Display ‘DANGER line cleaning in progress’ notices in appropriate place.
- Remove all dispense tap spouts and sparklers and clean separately
- Ensure gas supply to couplers is OFF Attach Keg couplers to cleaning sockets
- Fill the cleaning bottle with clean fresh water, turn on the gas supply to the cleaning gas pump
- Fill all beer lines with clean, cold, fresh water – don’t forget the fob detectors
- Mix a fresh mix of recommended line cleaner to the correct strength, as indicated on the instructions on the line cleaner container
- Fill fob detectors with diluted line cleaner, then pull through to the dispense taps
- Soak lines for 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for another 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and refill each line with fresh detergent
- Soak lines for a final 10 minutes, agitate detergent through fob detector and refill each line with fresh detergent
- Rinse cleaning bottle and fill with clean, cold, fresh water
- Flush detergent from fob detectors
- Flush detergent from beer lines then pull through each line with a further 10 litres of water
- Replace cleaned spouts and sparklers on the correct dispense taps
- Disconnect keg couplers from cleaning sockets and connect to the correct keg, Turn gas supply to couplers, refill fob detectors with product.
- Pull product through to dispense taps and check product QUALITY (Clarity, Aroma Taste and Temperature)
Line Cleaning - Cask Line Cleaning Process Steps
- Inform staff that cleaning is in progress.
- Display ‘DANGER line cleaning in progress’ notices in appropriate place.
- Remove all beer engine sparklers from spouts and clean separately
- Drop all cask lines in a cleaning bottle/bucket filled with clean, cold fresh water
- Pull the lines through with clean, cold, fresh water – don’t forget the fob detectors if fitted
- Mix a fresh mix of recommended line cleaner to the correct strength, as indicated on the instructions on the line cleaner detergent container, in ideally a stainless steel bucket or keg line cleaning bottle
- Pull through diluted line cleaner to the beer engines - don’t forget the fob detectors if fitted
- Soak lines for 10 minutes then refill each line with fresh detergent, agitate detergent through fob detector if fitted
- Soak lines for 10 minutes then refill each line with fresh detergent, agitate detergent through fob detector if fitted
- Soak lines for 10 minutes then refill each line with fresh detergent, agitate detergent through fob detector if fitted
- Soak lines for another 10 minutes then refill each line with fresh detergent, agitate detergent through fob detector if fitted
- Soak lines for a final 10 minutes then refill each line with fresh detergent, agitate detergent through fob detector if fitted
- Rinse bucket or cleaning bottle and fill with clean, cold, fresh water
- Flush detergent from beer lines then pull through each line with a further 10 litres of water - don’t forget the fob detectors if fitted
DAY BEFORE OPENING
- Flush more clean water through the lines
- Replace cleaned sparklers on the beer engine spouts
- Check beer quality out of casks in the CELLAR, if product is okay-
- Reconnect lines to cask taps using a clean tap washer or hop filter
- Pull product through to dispense taps and check product QUALITY (Clarity, Aroma Taste and Temperature)