Recently in Smoking ban Category

As openings go, this was no T5....even though Westfield managers admitted to us at the end of the day they had been preparing for the worst, on the day it was packed to the rafters. But despite the crowds, there was a conspicuous lack of shopping bags with punters clearly chosing to browse rather than buy. The food outlets however, were definitely the winners of the day, being totally rammed from about 10am onwards.

Even a few problems with the gas at one point couldn't dampen spirits and despite queues of around 45mins at the lunch time peak, most customers said their dishes from the food court were worth the wait.

One little snag that will hopefully be quickly remedied..

In this post-smoking ban era, it's essential to have plenty of bins and ashtrays around for fag butts, but someone forgot to order them - so by the end of the day the outside was strewn with fag ends - lowering the tone somewhat..

Last week, London pub the Endurance was banned from allowing drinkers and smokers outside its premises from 6pm in the evening after losing a case against Westminster Council.

Kitchen Rat hears that the Soho-based pub faces a future of competing against its local rivals without the appeal of outdoor drinking thanks to the complaints of just three residents, with one in particular making an almighty fuss.

The resident in question - who presumably was not forced to live in Soho - mounted a vocal campaign against the pub because of the noise its customers were making outside.

It has emerged that she also complained about the market stall traders of nearby Berwick Street shouting phrases such as "strawberries, £1 a punnet" and "get your bananas here". How terribly inconvenient it is for market folk to try and make a living in the heart of London and not believe that they are in a private, gated, community in Surrey.

The Blue Post pub, on the other side of the road to the Endurance, is yet to receive a complaint and its punters can drink outside to their hearts content. Presumably customers at the Blue Post only speak outside in whispers or are all proficient in sign language. At least they are not trying to drink and sell strawberries at the same time.

You'd think everyone was on board with the start of the smoking ban in England on Sunday. Not so.

While Government body Smokefree England is happily releasing disingenuous stats. in the run up to the ban, try:

- 95% of businesses in England are already compliant, or will be for July 1st? So that will be places such as the London Underground, offices the breadth of the country and munition manufactuerers, included as well then not just pubs and bars -

And ex-Rolling Stone Bill Wyman making headlines saying the ban will bring him no satisfaction (in fact he's going to defy it), one eagle eyed Kitchen Rat reader spotted the above on a trip to the Warwick Hilton hotel recently.

A case of preparing for the smoking ban on the cheap, perhaps?

Smoking ban round up>>