Life Beyond Lockdown

Gradually people have returned to the daily routines and rituals that pass for normal life in Hong Kong. Simple pleasures such as time with friends and dining out are high on post-pandemic to-do lists. But the world as we know it has changed.

While Covid-19 had our attention turned elsewhere, a reawakening occurred in Hong Kong. February’s lockdown of 23 business sectors was the nail in the coffin for many bars and restaurants but fresh new concepts have sprouted up in their place. Businesses that survived the lockdowns expanded and pivoted in creative ways. The city was knocked down, but it’s getting back up again.

After a dip in 2020, Hong Kong’s wine market rebounded in 2021. But despite the rally, imports and sales were slow in 2022. The Catering Business (Social Distancing) Subsidy Scheme provided relief to the hospitality sector from 2020, disbursing more than HKD13 billion (USD1.7 billion) to January 2022, with more measures announced in February 2022. The subsidies helped some businesses. Others took charge of their own destiny.

Camille Glass, HK IWSC judge and Owner of Crushed Wines and Side Note restaurant group, feels uplifted by how the food and beverage industry adapted in the wake of the challenges

it faced. “Pizzerias sent out homemade pizza kits for people to make with their kids. At Pondi, we kitted out a basket with candles, wine glasses and picnic blankets to create a sense of closeness for people.”

The lockdown provided the impetus Side Note needed to open its own wine store. “When the government shut us down, we started selling our wines. I made home videos, speaking about the wines as if I were tableside … That success gave us the confidence to open Crushed Wines, our own little Covid baby, to continue the flow of wine, information and communication to our customers.”

Daniam Chou

Rules of attraction

Hong Kong’s never say die attitude has seen it weather many storms. The challenge posed by Covid-19 was immense, but the wine industry has a backbone of well-established infrastructure and resilient professionals and is a magnet for talented food and wine professionals.

“It’s rare to have so many top chefs, sommeliers and wine distributors working side by side in such a small city,” said Wallace Lo, awardwinning sommelier and Manager of mato.

Like Glass, Lo is proud of the way businesses adapted. “Restaurants have evolved. Adventurous products are being introduced. Young drinkers are being welcomed to wine categories they’ve never seen,” he said.

Cristobal Huneeus, Co-founder at La Cabane, said Covid accelerated demand for alternative wines. “The last four years have been stressful and complicated for importers, but as we return to normality I see people are more curious about other styles. Sick of drinking the same wine every day during lockdown, they were drawn to niche wines.”

Anty Fung believes experience is the key to enticing guests back to bars and restaurants. "People became used to hosting parties at home. There needs to be a better reason beyond just good food and wine to justify dining out, "Experiences have to become more dynamic and ambience-driven. Good vibes is something that's going to bring people back to the restaurant scene." It encompasses a more creative take on service style, a more engaging way to facilitate guest interactions, etc. Post-covid times restaurants and bars have to find a new way to attract winers and diners back with a stronger social offering.

In the process of rebuilding, Hong Kong’s wine market is being reshaped. There are chinks in its armor, sure, but there’s nothing quite like a few years of rolling lockdowns to invigorate people’s desire to explore and venture to new, unchartered corners of the wine scene.

Anty Fung General Manager, Hip Cellar & AnOther Place Co-founder, mato coffee wine

Experiences have to become more dynamic and ambience-driven. Good vibes is something that's going to bring people back to the restaurant scene.