PUBS, cafés and restaurants threw open their doors yesterday and welcomed hungry and thirsty customers back after more than three months of being closed.

Some hospitality venues reopened yesterday as the country took it's third step on the 'roadmap' out of lockdown, and owners of pubs, restaurants and cafés with outdoor seating areas were excited to get back to work.

In the first couple of hours of venues being open, Weymouth Harbour was bustling with people having food and drink out for the first time in 2021, while the weather kept people on their toes with sunshine one minute and April showers the next.

Shaun Yates, a cleaner on furlough, was out enjoying a pint - while sat under an umbrella and wearing gloves. He was the first customer at Nanna Moon's Café Bar and had enjoyed a full English breakfast and a pint. He said: "I am so happy to be out, I don't mind the weather at all. I just feel really happy."

Michelle Ludlow, owner of Nanna Moon's Café Bar, is grateful the premises has been permitted to extend on to the pavement which has created space for six picnic benches. She said: "It is great to get our doors open again and we are really lucky that we are allowed some outdoor seating as, if we didn't have the space on the harbourside, we would not have been able to reopen at all - the outdoor seating is a god send."

Sharon Phillip-Day, general manager at the Kings Arms, was disappointed to find that it had been a fairly quiet morning, but was happy to be back at work. She said: "It is great being back open and, although it is quiet today, I think it is going to be a really busy season which Weymouth desperately needs after being closed for so much of last year.

"I hope that once the weather clears up customers will start coming out and spending some money."

On the other side of the harbour, business was booming at The George Bar and Grill where staff were turning excited customers away as they were at full capacity.

Ellie Howard, host and waitress, said: "It has been so busy already today and we have got loads of bookings for the rest of the week.

"We have had a couple of groups of more than six turn up so we have had to tell them that they cannot all sit together but besides that customers have been in great spirits and seem really happy to be out."

In Hope Square, customers were soaking up the sun.

Pascal Thebeau, owner of Pascal's Brasserie, said: "It has been a great day so far except for the rain, although I don't think most people care about the weather. It is just so good to be back at work and to have a purpose again."

Emma Farnworth, co-owner of The Secret Garden, said: "It has not been as busy as I was expecting. I think people have been more excited to get to the pub and have a pint instead of come to a café and have a sandwich, but we have lots of bookings for the rest of the week so I'm hoping it picks up."

Emma's sister Katherine was sat outside with her children enjoying a coffee. She said: "It is so nice to be out and see people. I bumped into a couple of friends that I haven't seen in months and that feeling of being with people again is so lovely."