A PUB group with venues across Cumbria is preparing to open its doors once more - as bosses get to grips with the latest set of rules imposed on the hospitality industry by Whitehall. Every Lakeland Inns pub in the county will have a revamped food offering, as chefs look to offer a menu for diners alongside a new pocket-friendly selection of dishes for those wanting to drop in for a more casual drink and bite to eat. Managing Director Kirsty Ridge said the team was looking forward to welcoming regulars and guests through their doors once more. She added: “With new rules stating everyone must have a substantial meal if they are joining us for a drink, we are looking forward to welcoming customers into our pubs to enjoy fantastic, freshly cooked food courtesy of our talented kitchen teams. “Of course we recognise that not everyone will want a two or three-course meal in our dining areas, so we have also introduced a selection of pocket-friendly bar meals for customers who are mainly calling in for a few December tipples. “We really don’t know what the appetite of the public will be to go out for a drink when they have to have a meal as part of the deal, but we are geared up to make their experience as affordable and pleasant as possible. “Normally at this time of year, we would be bursting to the seams with festive drinkers, groups of friends and colleagues enjoying a festive tipple and Christmas parties galore. “This year will be very different and while we will do our very best to inject plenty of festive cheer, there are rules and regulations which we must uphold. “Of course we will take our responsibilities very seriously and we ask that all customers help us to ensure our pubs are as safe and covid secure as possible.” The venues - The Sun Inn, Ulverston; The Black Cock, Broughton-in-Furness; The Commodore, Grange; The Royal Oak, Spark Bridge and The Royal Oak, Curthwaite - will be open for walk-ins and also for bookings. The new rules relating to the hospitality industry were announced by the government last week. Under the new tier system, 98 per cent of the UK’s hospitality trade will now take place in tier 2 and 3 regions, according to sector specialists, UKHospitality. Should the restrictions last the entire month of December, an estimated £7.8 billion worth of trading is set to be wiped out, compared to 2019. UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said: “These are safe spaces for people to meet, relax and socialise and the sector is desperate to get staff back to work, open their doors and, in the long term, diminish reliance on the public purse and begin driving economic recovery.”