A pub turned into a green grocers after it was told to shut during the coronavirus lockdown. 

The Cart and Horses Commonwood in Kings Langley was transformed into a grocery overnight back in March in order to keep the business alive.

Owners Ian Reynolds, 57 and his son Curtis, 23 started selling their own stock and extended the pub into a butchers and fishmongers by working with market traders to sell fresh produce.

They created a click-and-collect system where customers order online or over the phone. Customers receive a time slot to come to the pub car park and staff deliver products into the boot of each customer's car.

Curtis said: "I have been working with my dad on and off since I was able to reach in the sink and wash dishes. I've grown up in this pub.

Watford Observer:

Cart and Horses' car park where customers collect their items. Credit: Cart and Horses

Sleeping without heating

"When lockdown began it was extremely damaging, we were sleeping without heating on for the first few nights, come the Saturday morning after pubs were told to close we opened up as a shop.

"We started selling daily essentials such as bread, eggs, flour and it got bigger, there was such a demand for fresh food."

Post lockdown plans

The father and son team have also outlined some measures they will introduce once the Government gives pubs the green light to open their doors.

Parts of their plan includes distancing tables in the garden, using disposable items and cutlery so everything is only touched once, and potentially creating an app where customers can order from their table.

Watford Observer:

How the pub has been set up to sell stock and produce. Credit: Cart and Horses

Curtis added:"We're working on implementing an online shop selling all the produce when we're allowed to reopen. If we got the green light, we'd open tonight.

"We have got a huge garden space and we're getting an outside toilet facility and we have all our measures in place."

"We have an outside marque which we've used for birthdays, and we have got a fully licensed bar outside.

"In terms of people collecting their drinks, I could let one person up at a time to the bar.

"If we got the go ahead to open right now I would be running around so we could be open in an hour. We want to get back to work."