ADJUSTING to a new normal has been difficult for many, but it has been particularly devastating for the hospitality industry.

Fine dining restaurant Terrace Bistro in Stockton Heath was forced to shut in March but quickly adapted its business model to survive behind closed doors.

Owner Marc Smith said: “We closed pretty much straightaway as our head chef Phil Daley has type one diabetes and needed to shield.

“A lot of people in the hospitality industry started to offer takeaways and we wanted to keep our name out there.

“Without the head chef, we needed to adapt the menu and our service.”

Marc launched The Proper Treats Company offering afternoon teas, picnic hampers and sweet treats on a delivery or takeaway basis.

He said: “It went mental, I had to go out and buy loads of wicker baskets to keep up with the demand.

“Phil came back to work last week, and we launched our Bistro Box which is our usual fine dining menu.

“It is ideal for people who are not yet comfortable with leaving the house who want a nice meal and that has been really popular too.

“We are really positive about the future and will continue with the delivery service.”

To cope with the demand of the new services, Marc has opened a new kitchen in Latchford and employed two new chefs and delivery drivers.

The team are about to launch the Grill & Smoker box which includes burgers, dogs, pulled, smoked meats, ribs and steaks which can be delivered to your door.

Marc added: “We made the best out of a bad situation; things could have been a lot worse.

“In many ways, we are in a better position now than before coronavirus hit.”

The London Road eatery is a small site, made up of seven booths and two tables.

Adhering to new social distancing measures was a simple step for the restaurant as they only had to remove the two standalone tables.

Each booth now has hand sanitiser and the site is regularly disinfected.

A new one-way system in the bathrooms has also been introduced to stop overcrowding.

You can order at www.propertreats.co.uk