UK restaurants prepare to open as Covid lockdowns ease

Available for over a year

Monday sees another milestone in the reopening of the economy: people in most of the UK will be able to go to a bar or restaurant and eat indoors. But some favourite haunts will no longer be there: over the last year, thousands of establishments have closed, latest surveys indicate. Nonetheless, Patrick Hooykaas, regional director for reservation site The Fork, describes the enthusiasm for a night out the UK public is showing. Also in the programme, Lithium producers are struggling to meet rising demand for the metal, which is used in batteries for computers and electric cars. Chris Berry of commodity analysts House Mountain Partners in Washington D.C., explains how the crunch may cause a spike in prices. And also in the show, we'll hear from economist Michael Hughes about the coming week's economic indicators. (Picture: Restaurant staff stand outside next to diners in London, England. Picture credit: Getty Images.)