Hi! I am moved to comment on something not directly beer related, I hope you'll allow me a brief digression from the norm and if you're not interested, scroll on, no worries! Short thread about customer service: ACTIVATE!

I am at the face of the business and part of my job is simply talking with and being nice to people, 7 or so hours a day, more or less non-stop, 5 days a week (plus extras!). I am not complaining about this - I love it! It's my raison d'etre, my bread and butter & my sworn duty.

But sometimes, (in particular lately with everything that's going on and jobs and lives and what appears to be the world being turned upside down), it can be very difficult to keep up the patter and the unfailing good cheer. I confess I have let you down a couple of times lately.

I apologise that this has happened, this is not who I would like to be or how I would like to represent @VerdantBrew. I've read a bit lately about the negative effect the last few months of general turbulence have had on people's mental health and have conceded privately

to my colleagues here at the bar and at the brewery that I have felt an increasing sense of mental and emotional exhaustion. I suspect I am not alone. And here is the actual point - there are many people now returning to work in a significantly more fragile state than before.

I'm sure that many of my friends and colleagues in hospitality are genuinely thrilled to be back at work, as I am, but that also are privately struggling to 'turn it on' from time to time and are probably not feeling very good about that (among a great many other things!).

I would like to encourage all of my people out there behind the bar and running kitchens and sections and floors and so on to KEEP GOING, I BELIEVE IN YOU AND AM WITH YOU ALL THE WAY!

It's a tricky time for us all and if you're away to a pub or a shop or a restaurant, please be kind to the staff! They are working hard under very difficult (not to mention unusual!) circumstances and it can be tough bringing a game face when there is so much uncertainty around.

In conclusion, I would like to apologise again that I have been shorter than I should have been on a couple of occasions - I am always trying my best and attempting to improve in every small way that I fail. I am very pleased to be able to serve you & am very proud of our place.

Big ups to everyone in hospitality returning to work this week and to everyone who is having a little struggle adjusting or just simply keeping on keeping on and a big thanks to all of our wonderful, patient customers and followers for your kind words and good nature.

Cheers to my colleagues at @VerdantBrew for (presumably - I haven't asked permission or anything) letting me go off on twitter about things like this, and also for being a generous, sympathetic bunch and also for paying me. And making good beer. Right, back to it! Cheers