The Unbookables

Some of the best nights out we’ve ever had have been the spontaneous ones that were decided, organised and executed in the spur of the moment, which is why we’re here trying to bring back the good old walk-in.

So how do we plan on doing that?  

To start with we’re simply removing a few tables from our booking system both at the Old Fishmarket and our Mount Ephraim site to ensure there’s a spot for you and the gang if you’re ever walking past and suddenly feel compelled to pop in.  

The name of those tables? You guessed it, they’re The Unbookables...

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It’s safe to say that the events of the last 18 months have all made us look at how we go about our day to day lives, and there have certainly been noticeable changes both big and small. Businesses have realised staff can be just as productive working from home (although that doesn’t quite work in our case), Zoom has risen from obscurity to being part of our standard vocabulary, and suddenly everyone has their own special recipe when it comes to making banana bread.

Significantly in the hospitality industry though, one of the shifts in behaviour we’ve realised is how organised and prepared everyone seemingly is. Rooted in the ‘Rule of 6’ and government guidance of table service only, it was no surprise that everyone had to get used to making a reservation when it came to weekend revelry or a mid-week bite to eat.  

To begin with, and even now, the culture of bookings was great. We’d know how exactly who to expect in, how many members of staff we’d need, and how much stock to order for the days ahead. After all, they do say it pays to be prepared.

Now that restrictions have eased though it’s a different kettle of fish – if you’ll pardon the pun.  

Unfortunately we’ve found that many people now are under the illusion that past a certain point in the week we’re either bound to be full up or will just give you a disapproving look when we find out you haven’t booked in advance. Whilst we’re honoured people think business is booming for us to such an extent that we’d be turning people away, we’re always trying our best to deliver the Sankey’s experience to as many people as possible – and this is just one way of going about it.

Here at Sankey’s we love seafood, but we’re also fans of surprises too so why not come and make our day by showing your face sometime soon?  

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