A NUMBER of Somerset hotels, restaurants, B&Bs, campsites and more have been certified as Covid Confident by a new AA scheme.

With much of the hospitality industry re-opening on Saturday (July 4), the AA has revealed 4,000 business have registered for accreditation in the scheme - with 206 establishment receiving their recognition on re-opening.

In Somerset, 10 venues were certified as Covid Confident when re-opening.

They were:

  • The Bath Priory Hotel, Restaurant & Spa, Bath, Somerset
  • Bath Chew Valley Caravan Park, Bishop Sutton, Somerset
  • Bishops Farm Studio, Claverham, Somerset
  • Holi Moli, Dunster, Somerset
  • Salad Days, Dunster, Somerset
  • Anstey Mills Cottages, East Luscombe, Somerset
  • Park Farm Country Cottages, Norton Hawkfield, Somerset
  • The Castle at Taunton, Taunton, Somerset
  • Burcott Mill Guesthouse, Wookey, Somerset
  • The Masons Arms, Yeovil, Somerset

The AA assessment scheme is designed to support the hospitality industry in re-establishing and rebuilding consumer confidence as the UK prepares to come out of lockdown, giving customers confidence that accredited hotels, restaurants, pubs, B&Bs and beyond have the necessary protective measures in place to safely reopen once lockdown restrictions are lifted, said Simon Numphud, managing director at AA Media.

“At this crucial time for the hospitality industry, as businesses work hard to get back on their feet, the number of registrations to the AA Covid Confident scheme demonstrate our industry’s commitment to customer and staff safety," he added.

"As people start to book holidays and days out, we hope the AA Covid Confident accreditation will support the public in making informed decisions with confidence.”

An AA Covid Confident accreditation will indicate to customers that an establishment has in place the necessary risk assessments, safety measures and staff training, in line with the Government and UKHospitality’s published guidelines, to reopen safely when permitted to do so by the Government.

The scheme has been backed by over 20 industry bodies.