HARLEY'S Smokehouse in Kinver is to re-open on Friday (September 18) following a temporary closure due to a case of Covid-19.

Owners Wilf Beardsmore and son Simon had to close the popular American style smokehouse for 14 days after a member of staff at the restaurant tested positive for coronavirus.

Diners who were at Harley's as the news came in were politely asked to leave and the pair, who run Dunsley Hall Hotel alongside the restaurant, spent the next seven hours on the phone notifying customers who had booked tables.

They stressed the member of staff who tested positive would not have come into contact with customers, due to working in a back of house role, and they said they had co-operated fully with health bosses over the matter.

Simon Beardsmore told the News: "Following full cooperation with environmental health, who have visited the business and reviewed the Covid secure controls we have in place, they have deemed us safe to open as of Friday at 12pm."

Wilf added: "We're really looking forward to welcoming customers back. We are taking bookings and we've phoned people who've already booked for the weekend and next week to tell them we're here and looking forward to seeing them."

Harley's is now set to re-open from midday this Friday (September 18) following the temporary shut down which came just five months after the death of the driving force behind the business - Terrie Beardsmore, wife to Wilf and mother to Simon, who died in April after contracting Covid-19 while fighting cancer.

Anyone visiting without pre-booking online will be asked to give their details for the track and trace service "even if they're just having an ice cream in the gelato bar" - Simon told the News.