Here goes! It’s hibernation station; time to batten down the hatches and take some respite. As we prepare to go into lockdown again, we wanted to take a moment to reflect and look forward to 2021 with cautious optimism.
It goes without saying that 2020 has been a huge challenge to our physical and mental wellbeing. COVID-19 has sent colossal ripples throughout the world and has disrupted our lives in ways that none of us imagined.
We can’t thank the Castle Rock family enough for its resilience in the most difficult of circumstances. From reopening on 4th July, our managers and their teams went above and beyond, implementing procedures that were later deemed essential and became part of law. Despite their own anxieties, they put on brave and friendly faces. Although there was a small minority of uncooperative customers, the vast majority were understanding, patient and incredibly supportive. A special thanks goes to those customers who went out of their way to show their appreciation – your kindness was just the encouragement we needed.
Similar words can also be said for our central teams and everyone working behind the scenes; they have been the beating heart of the business and kept everything functioning. Even when things seemed to grind to a halt, they were beavering away in the background.
None of know what the other side of lockdown is going to look like, and trying to predict how the virus is going to develop (and how the government is going to respond) is becoming incrementally difficult. We are however preparing for it to be a pervasive aspect of our lives for the foreseeable future, and so when restrictions start to relax our focus will be on honing our service, curating the best products (locally where possible), brewing more, learning more and looking after each other.
In the meantime, we’d like to remind you that our online shop will remain open throughout lockdown, as will our Click and Collect Drive-Thru service. Every little really does help in these difficult times so please do support us and enjoy a beer or two (or some merch). Watch this space for news of some locally inspired Christmas hampers as well as a couple of really exciting limited-run beers.
We’ll also be posting a more thorough update as we near Christmas, which will include us highlighting some of the people who deserve specific thanks for their contributions during 2020.
Our best wishes and gratitude to our teams, customers, and friends in the industry. Stay safe and well. We’ve got this.
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