“Over the last three or four days both advance and last-minute cancellations have gone from a trickle to a flood, although thankfully we’ve had very few no shows,” says Roux Jr. “People are really worried about this new variant.

“If there is a silver lining, and it’s not really a silver lining, it’s that there’s currently availability in restaurants that you would normally need to book three months in advance. At Christmas, Le Gavroche is usually choc-a-block from November. There’s never a table free, and it has a joyous buzz. For us at Le Gavroche, we’re lucky that we’ve been around for 50 years and have a huge following.

“We’re taking a hit, but it’s not as bad as it is for small, independent or new restaurants. December is one of the busiest months for restaurants, and builds up reserves to get them through the quiet months of January and February. We can’t take things lightly, and we have to be very serious about this. There are tables available, and until we get the word from the Government to say “shut your doors, and you will be compensated”, then we’ll have to stay open as safely as we can. We still have fewer tables than usual and measures in place like screens and masks. My advice would be – go out, please, and support your local restaurants.”