If someone had tried to pre-warn us what lay ahead in 2020 it would have been difficult to believe. Few businesses have been spared the impacts of Covid-19 with many required to significantly alter their way of operating just to stay open.

The hospitality scene has been one of the most heavily affected with the forced closures resulting in the transformation of our much-loved bar, restaurant and café scene. For some businesses, however, the strain was all too much.

One such casualty was Newcastle’s much-loved Spanish restaurant Bocados with owner Raul Cabrera announcing on March 24 that they would be closing the doors to Bocados permanently. A difficult decision to say the least as Raul explained,

“I had no idea what the plan would be when we closed, to be honest the last few months have been an emotional roller coaster.”

“After we closed my will power, and confidence, had been taken away from me and I’ve been blaming myself for a lot of what happened with the business.”

However, some positive news transpired in recent weeks with Raul sharing with us via email the goods news that by early July Bocados will be reopening their doors!

“About a month ago our landlord asked to sit down and have a chat with me, and to have a look over our books. Essentially he could see that there is a good business here and wants to see us continue operating so he has offered some rent relief."

"This has allowed us to bring staff back on board and continue trading again.”

Will Bocados, however, be the restaurant we remember when the doors reopen?

“There will definitely be some changes to the business. The menu will have some changes and we've put in place some extra Covid-19 care so we are complying with all the health regulations. The restaurant will, however, remain as a Spanish kitchen style restaurant so you can expect all the same flavours that Bocados has become so well known for.”

“We will essentially be starting from scratch again, it will still be Bocados but we’ll be taking the success and failures of the past into consideration.”

"Overall I am feeling refreshed and positive about the future, whilst the last few months have been tough there were some positives, like being able to spend time with my wife and daughter, and just being at home with the family at dinner is something I’ve not had the opportunity to do much of since Bocados started."

"Overall it just gave me the opportunity to appreciate life and what I have.”

“I’ve been really lucky that I’ve had a lot of support from family and friends which has helped me get through these tough times and I am just so grateful for that.”

Wednesday 22nd July will be the first day of trading for Bocados, an exciting day not only for the future history of Bocados but for the Newcastle dining scene.