Tier 2 lockdown rules: Can I order more drinks after eating a meal?

Bristol and north Somerset will move from tier 3 into tier 2 on Saturday

(Getty Images/iStockphoto)

England moved back to a three-tier system after the second nationwide lockdown came to an end on 2 December.

In the first two weeks of the tier system, most regions were placed in either tier 2 or 3, but, following a two-week review of infection numbers on 16 December, London, parts of Essex and Hertfordshire all moved into Tier 3. 

On Thursday morning Matt Hancock told the House of Commons that Bristol and north Somerset would be moving from tier 3 down to tier 2.

The tier system is similar to the postcode system in place in October but many regions are now in higher tiers, and the rules are slightly different.

One of the biggest rule changes this time is that in tier 2 (high alert) you are not able to drink alcohol without also having a “substantial meal” at the same time. 

Read more: Can I meet friends in the pub in tier 2?

Other changes include an extension of the 10pm curfew to 11pm - meaning people have to make last orders by 10 o’clock but do not need to have vacated the premises. In tier 3 hospitality is closed altogether.  

But for those who can open - what does the alcohol rule really mean?  

How does the alcohol rule work?

The rule in tier 2 is that pubs and bars must close unless they are operating as restaurants and serve food alongside the alcohol. They also must provide table service only.

But this had led to some confusion over whether people could, for example, have lunch in a pub and then drink for the rest of the afternoon.

On 29 November, Downing Street confirmed that customers would have to leave the venue once they finish eating their meal - and cannot continue to drink if they are no longer eating. 

“We've been clear that, in tier 2 I believe, that you need to have a substantial meal if ordering any alcohol and it remains the case that the guidance says that once the meal is finished, it is at that point [you have to leave],” it told the BBC.

MP George Eustice, secretary of state for environment, food and rural affairs, went further to explain: "I think you can finish your drink provided you are at a table and you have had a drink with a meal then, of course, you can finish your drink as well.

"What you probably couldn't do is have a small meal and then sit at the table all night ordering drink."

What is a substantial meal?

In October when a similar rule was used, housing secretary Robert Jenrick ruled out a packet of crisps qualifying as a “substantial meal”, telling LBC that a Cornish pasty could be considered a “normal meal” if it was ordered with a salad and chips.

The guidance only qualifies a “substantial meal” as "a full breakfast, main lunchtime or evening meal". 

Which tier are you in?

You can find out which alert level your area falls under using the postcode search available on the government website.  Or use this list of all regions by tier. 

The NHS Covid 19 app will also be updated and show which local alert level applies in which area.