Urgent: Clarification of Current NSW Winery Cellar Door position
After further discussions between NSW Wine Industry Association and the NSW Government this week, we have as of 5.23pm 22
nd
May had the following clarification and communication about the current situation for NSW Cellar Doors and has come directly from the offices of the NSW Minister for Health (Brad Hazard) and with the endorsement of the office of the NSW Minister for Tourism (Stuart Ayres)
It relates to the current announcement for Cellar Doors (15th May) and is a much more positive interpretation of the Public Health Order for NSW wine producers and is effective immediately;
A cellar door can open to the public to sell food and drinks.
- If there is wine being sold (incl. a tasting), then food must also be provided.
- Cheese is food. And we deliberately avoided the term ‘meal’.
- You can’t have 10 people milling at the bar doing a tasting and snacking on cheese.
- You can have 10 people max at a table, doing a tasting and snacking on cheese.
- However any food (including cheese platters) must be COVID safe. NSW Health is advising against communal food/sharing food etc. So it would be prudent to provide each individual with their own cheese platter and cutlery.
- It’s a business decision for the cellar door if they want to use their 10 patron quota on free food/cheese platter as opposed to a more sophisticated dining experience.
- If there is a restaurant within the cellar door, then only 10 persons can be served (in total).
- All venues need to comply the current individual and group spacings regulations of 1 person per 4m2 in total and minimum of 1.5m spacing between tables/groups
Further easing of restrictions may be made on the 1
st
of June, 2020 and we will pass on information as soon as it comes to hand.
Mark Bourne (President)
Angus Barnes (Executive Officer)
