Floating restaurant owners celebrate ‘exciting’ bubble relaunch after securing grant aid

Floating restaurant owners left stranded by government coronavirus help schemes have successfully relaunched – after scooping discretionary support.

Craig Ambury captaining the Lady Florence Picture: CHARLOTTE SMITH-JARVIS - Credit: Archant

Craig and Kris Ambury run restaurants aboard the Allen Gardiner in Ipswich and the Lady Florence in Orford – but fell foul of various support schemes because their floating restaurants don’t qualify for business rates.

It meant their businesses were left stranded and they were worried for the future of the business – but after securing a discretionary grant they have managed to reopen.

MORE – Floating restaurants all at sea after failing to secure government coronavirus helpThe floating restaurants relaunched on July 18 and July 24 respectively with “bubble” dining cruises.

“In order to comply with government’s guidance on managing the risk of Covid-19 we’ve temporarily changed the way we run our cruises, taking bookings etc,” the couple explained.

The Allen Gardiner floating restaurant Picture: RIVER CRUISE RESTAURANTS - Credit: Archant

“We have decided not to take two separate bookings for the same cruise as keeping 1m plus distance between two ‘bubbles’ is impossible on our boats so we are doing ‘bubble’ cruises at the moment – very exciting.”