Our Response To Covid-19

Which parts of the farms are currently open and what safety measures are in place?

• From Monday 1 June, the wine shop will be open for wine sales from 9:00 - 17:00 on Mondays - Thursdays.
• The Farm Cafe is open for food purchases and collections daily from 9:00 - 16:30.
• The Spier Hotel will open on 15 June to business travellers.

The rest of the farm is currently closed to visitors.

The social distancing and hygiene protocols in place at the Spier Farm Cafe and Wine Shop room include:

• Use of a mask is compulsory; all shoppers are provided with hand sanitizer upon entry
• Only a limited number of shoppers are permitted in a space at a time, and entry and exits operate on a one-way basis
• A dedicated staff member sanitises all surfaces with a 70% alcohol sanitiser both before opening and at least every four hours during the day
• Point of sale areas are shielded by a transparent “sneeze-guard” which is regularly cleaned
• All staff members wear personal protective equipment
• The packing station is sanitised after each shopper’s bag/box has been packed with the purchased items

And what about online deliveries?

Spier drivers have received training in hygiene and social distancing based on WHO guidelines. Each staff member is temperature tested daily at the beginning of their shift.

All deliveries are contactless: drivers have been instructed not to make physical contact with any customers and to maintain a safe distance during drop-off. They wear masks and use hand sanitiser between deliveries and use a fresh pair of surgical gloves for each delivery.

How are we looking after the health of our staff at this time?

We have provided extensive information about COVID-19 and the precautions they can take to prevent its spread. We have also provided our staff with sanitiser and masks.

Staff are able to contact a nurse should they be feeling unwell. The nurse also checks in regularly with immunocompromised and other at-risk team members.

Although the vast majority of our staff are not on-site, the handful that do come in have their temperature tested. They wear a cloth mask, and regularly use hand sanitiser and wash hands. They also respect and observe appropriate social distancing protocols while working.

What will precautions be in place when the Spier Hotel and Conference Centre reopens?

We have developed an extensive range of hygiene and social distancing protocols that will be implemented when regulations allow us to reopen more of parts of the farm.

At our hotel

• All staff will wear masks (as well as gloves when cleaning rooms, public areas and restrooms); they also will be required to regularly sanitise their hands and wash their masks and uniforms; they are always required to maintain a distance of at least 1.5m between themselves and guests or colleagues
• All surface areas in public areas will be cleaned continuously
• Upon arrival, guests will be required to disinfect themselves at a sanitising station. Sanitising stations for staff and guests will also be in place throughout the farm
• At Reception, guests will complete a brief questionnaire regarding recent travel and any possible COVID-19 symptoms
• The availability of Snapscan will facilitate contactless credit card transactions. At check-out, keys must be returned by guests in a drop box (the cards will be cleaned thoroughly between uses)
• Occupied rooms will be spaced out throughout the hotel
• Rooms will be disinfected after every departure. The room will stay vacant for at least 48hrs after disinfecting, before our cleaning staff services the room
• Although in-room dining will be available, it’ll be a little different: the food will be placed on a tray outside the room and guests will be notified that it can be retrieved; the guests will be requested to put the tray outside their door upon finishing their meal
• Evening turn-down will be on hold. Replacement of bottled water will occur during the day
• Amenities (such as soaps and shampoo) will be prepackaged in small quantities and disposed of following the guest’s departure
• A number of room elements won’t be present: these include scatter cushions, bed throws, slippers, gowns, pencils and notepads; there won’t be a minibar but drinks can be ordered off our In-Room Dining menu
• Tools and equipment shared by staff (including credit card terminals, phones and computers) will be sanitised before, during and after each shift or anytime the equipment is transferred to a colleague
• Pools have been closed for use at this time

At our conferencing venues

• Seating capacities and floor plans of each event will be reviewed to ensure appropriate physical distancing; we will also offer planners a selection of floor plans designed to accommodate social distancing
• When it comes to the serving of food:
  • The same protocols used by our restaurants apply
  • There won’t be a buffet offering: all food and beverage items will be individually plated and served; coffee and other break items will be served by a server
• Instead of water carafes, delegates will be able to stay hydrated with individual bottles of water
• Sanitising wipes will be available for delegates to use
• Venues will be deep cleaned after each event and used pens and notepads will be discarded; clean and soiled linens will be transported in sealed single-use plastic bags into and out of the venue

These procedures will evolve in accordance with government regulations, medical expertise, WHO guidance and international best practice.

What precautions will be in place when we open our restaurants?

• Waiter stations and the host’s desk will be sanitised hourly
• Order stations will be sanitised between each user and before and after each shift. Waiters will sanitise their hands after each use
• Tables, bar top, stools and chairs as well as all reusable items guests come into contact with (such as bill folders and pens) will be sanitised after each use.
• Menus and napkins will be single use.
• Trays and tray stand will sanitised after each use
• Our restaurant and bar areas will be deep cleaned between meal periods.
• Our hotel restaurant will be a la carte and no longer a buffet service
• To facilitate appropriate social distancing there will be:
  • Signage at entrances and in waiting areas to remind people; hostesses and managers will be on hand to assist
  • Fewer tables and barstools to allow more space between them