• We have a strict policy of No Mask, No Entry. This is to ensure we keep all customers and staff as safe as possible. Where there is an exemption,  ideally, we ask a mask-wearer in your group to order, or if that isn’t possible we will take your order at your table.
• We will be operating a one-way system wherever possible, to ensure people are kept a safe distance apart. This means, that you may leave the shop via a different way than you entered it. There will be plenty of signage and guidance to show you where to go. Please see each store page for more information about our safety measures and remember, our floor staff are happy to help.
• For eat-in, tables are spaced at 2m+ OR we have installed safety screens between tables to provide a barrier.
• Will are currently only taking contactless or card payments. No cash.
• We will always play funky jazz in the shop, so even though everything seems upside down, you can tap your feet to a solid groove, while pondering the whole situation!
• Our loos are NOT available to use at Newark or Stamford. At Oakham, we are sanitising them every 60 minutes, so please be patient if waiting.
• We have installed clear plastic guards on our till areas, to ensure two-way hygiene. All our staff will be wearing face masks  and/or visors.
• We are unable to make drinks in re-useable cups at this time.
• We have carried out an in-house risk assessment with all our staff, prior to publishing our rotas, to ensure that everyone who is working is safe to do so.
• We have published an in-house safety document, for our staff to use, which shows all our hygiene processes. This is accompanied by a remote safety briefing on Zoom for each shop team, prior to opening. Our safety processes include regular sanitising of any obvious contact points in the building and the customer areas, like the credit card machine, door handles etc. These enhanced cleaning processes are carried out every hour, on the hour . Similar cleaning checks are also carried out in our servery area and the customer loos.

Your Quick Guide on How To Stray’…

We’re very aware of how full-on this whole situation is and despite that, all we actually want when we go out to eat, is to not have to feel awkward if we accidentally cough near a stranger, or dare to touch anything that isn’t already physically attached to our person!

So, early on, we (Lizzie and I) decided that we wanted to be a strict as possible with regards to safety, but not bang on about it at every turn. We want you to be safe, feel safe, but not have to constantly be reminded every two minutes, that we are still nowhere near being out of this.

That led us to set up the coffee shops as they are. As safe as we can make them, but also, still very much Stray’s.

So, to re-iterate, we don’t take reservations, as always. However, we do have a limit of numbers, so once we are full, we don’t allow waiting in the building. We have staffed our shops according to the seating capacity, so as long as we stick to the no waiting rule, we have the ability to look after the people in our buildings.

And finally, we don’t allow access to our shops to anyone not wearing a face covering. After taking advice from the local authority, it was agreed that in the best interest of the general public, we would not allow entry without a face covering. We realise this may cause various responses, but we are acting to safeguard the majority and inevitably, we may upset a small number of people. We apologise in advance if this is the case, but assure you, we are acting responsibly as a local business, wanting to stay open and provide a safe environment for everyone.