About a year ago, in February 2020, Umeå Smakpromenad was held for the first time. It was a success with 300 participants who visited 10 of Umeå's restaurants. The plans started immediately afterwards, we have to do this again! The idea was to start driving in April and then carry out about one walk a month. But then came a pandemic. We did not know if we could, could or wanted to carry out taste walks and the authorities were also unsure of what was allowed or not. Besides, the restaurants did not know how the restrictions would affect them. So we waited.
Spring passed, summer passed, autumn passed - but NOW we must be able to start again, right? Then came new restrictions with, for example, rules of a maximum of four at each table and limited opening hours at the restaurants. And we did not want a chance. The spread of infection is like nothing you take a chance with. And even though we then received ok from the authorities that Umeå Smakpromenad counts as a walk in the city (allowed) and individual visits to restaurants (also allowed), we chose to wait.
But now we feel that Umeå Smakpromenad can be carried out in an infection-proof way. Even before the pandemic, the restaurants were good at following various health recommendations, rules and laws - now after a whole pandemic year, they are of course even better. And walking in the city is just useful. We follow all the rules so that a maximum of four people sit at each table, all parties are kept separate at the correct distance, all food is served at the tables and hand alcohol is available everywhere. So we can safely say that if all participants also follow recommendations from a distance, to be completely healthy, spread their hands and help the staff at the restaurant to follow the rules that apply there - this will be a very nice taste walk! As we have longed for!
