Lockdown was a challenging time for most of Newquay’s businesses with many forced to close and the streets experiencing their quietest Easter and start to summer ever. Since the town reopened in strategically phased stages, Newquay has come alive again, welcoming visitors, tourists and locals back to the town to enjoy our diverse business landscape.

For some businesses, having to reopen and implement all of the government requirements was a daunting prospect after having been closed for such a long time but there is now a real air of confidence and some tell-tale signs that the popular town is bouncing back.

Some businesses are recording record sales this summer and some have even been borne out of lockdown, including stylish new eatery, deli and wine bar, The Bottle Newquay in Wesley Yard. Run by Newquay couple who saw the opportunity to launch a refillable wine company during lockdown, this boutique establishment is the perfect place to indulge in high quality small plates, cheese, charcuterie and lots of wine, all with a twist on the traditional. Another business founded from the pandemic is the Boathouse Food Hub, a delicious set-up of a varied selection of local street food vendors, including fresh Cornish seafood, gourmet burgers, tacos, pizzas and more.

Stylishly elegant open-space dining experience, Cove24 has also opened in the town centre since lockdown, offering a menu brimming with dishes formed from locally sourced provenance and many of the chefs having mastered their trade at Jamie Oliver’s Fifteen. Newquay, as with other areas of Cornwall, has also seen a plethora of ‘drive-in’ concepts sprouting up which have been proving exceptionally popular. Newquay is host to a number of drive-in cinema experiences as well as the UK’s first ever drive in show with the magic of the circus, Paulos circus drive-in.

The town’s advantage no doubt lies in the fact that it is a tourist destination where people want to come and spend time. Especially with restrictions and uncertainty around foreign travel at the moment, meaning people will no doubt want to spend more leisure time staycationing here in the UK, with Newquay perfectly set up for this.

Carla Marie Jones, Newquay Business Improvement District (BID) manager said, “We’re delighted with how responsible the retailers and businesses have been since reopening, ensuring safety measures are in place for all. We continue to be impressed with the flexibility shown in welcoming people back, in terms of adjusting opening hours, flexing capacity and the creative use of outdoor spaces. It never ceases to amaze us how bold, agile and resourceful the businesses in our town are, and this has been evident throughout the pandemic.

Since the start of the pandemic, we have been part of the town-wide approach to economic recovery together with local authorities and partner organisations including Newquay Town Council, Cornwall Council, LEP and local community and working groups. We are a key partner in the Town Wide Safety Plan and since reopening, we’ve been advising people to maintain social distancing and use the right-hand side of the high street. We have also pedestrianised certain areas of the town centre, placed hand sanitisers in all public toilets and arranged for dedicated marshalls to patrol Newquay to provide advice and guidance on the new safety measures.

Together, we developed an extensive Business Reopening Guide which details all safety measures for businesses, cleaning protocols, risk assessment templates, and a ‘Back to Business Checklist’, as well as details of free sector specific webinars. We continue to work hard with Newquay Town Council to keep the town safe. We believe Newquay high street is a place where people want to spend dwell time and have a truly enjoyable experience. That said, we would still urge people to visit and shop responsibly and continue to follow vital government guidelines as the virus has not gone away.

Newquay was said to be one of the worst affected areas in the country as recently reported on the national news, but it won’t be defeated by the virus. Where there is a crisis, there is also an opportunity. We would like to thank everyone for playing their part in helping keep Newquay a safe place to live, work, visit and holiday as it is a collaborative effort and we couldn’t do it without everyone’s joint hard work.

If any Newquay-based businesses would like Newquay BID to share its news through its channels, such as any changes to opening hours or simply positive business news, please do send all content to social@newquaybid.co.uk.

Newquay BIDs priority still remains in supporting businesses, ensuring we are providing them with all possible information and support available to them. The BID website and social media is being updated regularly with advice and information as soon as we have it. For more information, please see the Newquay BID website or email info@newquaybid.co.uk