Ahead of indoor bars and restaurants being able to reopen in May, the man behind Little Mercies in Crouch End told this newspaper he is "counting down the days".

With little space available, Little Mercies - which first opened in Tottenham Lane in 2018 - did not have the option of opening in April.

Ham & High: Alan Sherwood, from Little Mercies in Crouch End, is 'counting down the days' until May 17Alan Sherwood, from Little Mercies in Crouch End, is 'counting down the days' until May 17 (Image: Lateef Okunnu)

Owner Alan Sherwood told the Ham&High: "While it’s frustrating, we don’t have the outdoor capacity, we’re already counting down the days until we reopen and have taken delivery of a large stock of booze to aid in our reopening.

"Low capacity doesn’t make us any money and we only have enough space outdoors for a couple of tables."

He said he understands the government's reasons for staggering reopening, and added: “While lockdown's been hard for all local businesses, we’ve adapted and set up our online shop where locals can purchase some of our best cocktails and wines online, for home delivery or click and collect."

In late March, Little Mercies started selling "picnic packs" containing a bottle of a cocktail and some small plates of takeaway food.

For more information and to book, see littlemercies.co.uk