a response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic which had taken hold in the country as part of the effort to reduce social contact which might otherwise have increased the spread of the virus. Establishments were allowed to reopen on 4 July 2020 and during the month of August the government operated a scheme called ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ to encourage people to dine out in restaurants by providing a government-funded discount scheme. Subsequently with rising rates of COVID-19 the government introduced a system of tiers across England which regulated the activity of restaurants and their availability to the public with Birmingham being placed in the middle tier, tier 2. A second lockdown began on 5 November 2020 when all restaurants in England were made to close again and this ended on 3 December 2020 with Birmingham emerging in a stricter tier 3 which resulted in all restaurants remaining closed except for the sale of takeaway meals. Many restaurants, including a number of the Michelin-starred restaurants – Purnell’s, Simpsons, Opheem and Carter's of Moseley – offered a takeaway service during this period, a number having done so for weeks before. Another national lockdown came into law on the night of 5 to 6 January 2021 when all restaurants were once more closed though allowed to continue with takeaway services. The government allowed restaurants to reopen to indoor diners in groups of not more than six on 17 May 2021. However prior to that date, Michelin-Plated Opus in Cornwall Street announced on 12 May 2021 that it would not reopen and would remain permanently closed. Notable meals in Birmingham In May 1998, the G8 Summit was held in Birmingham and the Summit banquet was held in Birmingham Botanical Gardens. The menu was constructed by Jonathan Harrison, Chef de Cuisine of The Swallow Hotel (see above), for the world leaders, including President Bill Clinton of The United States and Chancellor Helmut Kohl of Germany, and it was necessary to take note of foods which the leaders could not eat (Chancellor Kohl did not eat shellfish or lamb and President Clinton would not eat chocolate) and food eaten at other meals by the leaders beef and asparagus were being served elsewhere and so could not appear on Harrison's menu. The final menu was made up of pan-fried Dover sole served with baby leeks and seasonal mushrooms and a Mediterranean sauce; Basque-style pork wrapped