Fife bar and restaurant seeks permanent permission for marquees it deems a "commercial necessity"

Owners say it’s the only thing that’ll keep the Italian Bar and Restaurant in business.

The Kettlebridge describes itself as a “welcoming quaint and cosy village inn offering authentic Italian cuisine” just off Cupar Road in Kettlebridge.

During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Inn was allowed to pitch the marquees behind the restaurant to enable the business. The marquees gave customers a place to eat while ensuring social distance rules were complied with.

However, since then, the owners say the marquees have become a “commercial necessity”.

As the temporary permissions expire, the Kettlebridge Inn is asking for permanent planning permission to keep all three of the marquees.

“Following the full lift of all pandemic restrictions, the marquees became a commercial necessity as a result of the significant increases in utility and product costs – [such as] energy, food, alcohol, brewery, CO2, etc,” a planning statement explained.

“If the planning application for the permanent erection of the temporary structure marquees is refused, the pub and restaurant would highly likely cease trading.”

The statement continued: “This in itself would result in the loss of 14 local jobs and would undoubtedly have a detrimental effect on the surrounding community, many of whose inhabitants rely on the social interaction the Kettlebridge Inn affords them.”

For context, owners explained that the three marquees provide the pub and restaurant with the capacity to serve an additional 76 ‘covers’, or guests.

Without the marquees, the pub and inn itself only has the capacity to serve 24 covers.

At the moment, the business is both financially viable, and it is able to sustain and employ 14 staff members.

If the marquees were to be taken away, however, that would no longer be the case.

“Without the Marquees, the restaurant’s maximum level of income would be based upon 48 covers [during Friday and Saturday nights] only,” a planning statement said.

“This model would only facilitate employment of four members of staff, but crucially the income/turnover generated from this reduced level of occupancy would deem the business non-viable financially.”

Fife Council will consider the application and make a decision in due course.