An award-winning restaurant in a Fife village has been forced to temporarily close after it was linked to a case of Covid-19.
Health officials advised team at the Kinneuchar Inn in the East Neuk village of Kilconquhar to shut its doors for 10 days as a precautionary measure.
The popular 17th century pub and restaurant is run by renowned chef James Ferguson and his partner Alethea Palmer.
It was shut for a number of months due to Covid-19 restrictions, with staff furloughed, and reopened at the end of July.
It is understood the case came to light as a result of Test and Protect measures.
James said: “After such a positive start to the opening of the pub and restaurant last September, 2020 has been devastating – as it has been for everyone.
“We reopened in July very cautiously, initially only allowing dining outdoors, and have been extremely mindful of adhering to government guidelines and following best practice around preventative coronavirus measures.
“We’ve followed the law to the letter; paid an external company to advise on precautions; implemented one way systems; been scrupulous with cleaning; observed social distancing and ensured we’re going above and beyond to keep our staff and customers safe.
“We’re absolutely gutted to have had a positive case linked to the inn and will, of course, close for the recommended period of time before reassessing the situation after what we assume is an isolated incident.”
All staff at the inn have been tested and all of the results have come back negative.
“The safety of both our staff and customers is always paramount,” James added.
“Alethea and I – and the whole team here – are in this industry because we love welcoming people to our restaurant and providing them with really wonderful local food and drink so this is a real blow.
“We’d like to thank customers for their support over this difficult time and hope we’re able to welcome them back again.”
