As restrictions began to relax in Sydney and New South Wales, Local Sauce Tours is excited to welcome curious locals and travellers back on our tours. A huge part of what we do is about supporting excellent locally-run independent businesses, including restaurants, bars and cafes. COVID-19 has had a massive impact on every single business in tourism and hospitality. The upside of that is that we have an even greater opportunity right now to show off these small businesses in a more meaningful way.
All of us are travellers ourselves and we know that everyone is feeling a little uneasy right now. We understand your concerns and want to ensure that as we resume our tours, we’re doing so in a safe way. At the same time, we will try to provide as much flexibility to our guests as possible, as well as our guides and partner businesses.
Status as of October 2021
All three of our Sydney-based tours resume from late October 2021, adhering to the safety measures deemed necessary by the New South Wales government and the City of Sydney.
As part of the NSW Roadmap for COVID, until 1 December, all guests participating in tours must be fully vaccinated, and be able to show proof of vaccination. During the tours, social distancing will be observed, and masks must be worn when indoors (except when eating or drinking). If you are unwell prior to a tour, please contact us – a reschedule or refund is always available if we are given advance notice.
Your safety is our biggest concern and we want to make sure you can enjoy the wonderful food and hospitality of our cities in a healthy and comfortable way.
If you have any questions or concerns about our policies outlined below, please contact us.
For Our Guests
Easy Refund or Reschedule Policy: From the start, we’ve honoured a 100% refund or reschedule policy for all COVID-19 related cancellations. If you have a booking with us, and are either displaying COVID symptoms, awaiting a COVID test result or have other reasonable concerns about taking part in a tour, please contact us. As a small tourism business, we would prefer to provide you with a credit that you can use within the next 12 months, but where this is not appropriate or possible for you, we can give you a 100% refund.
Flexible Booking and Cancellation: We offer the chance to change your booking or fully cancel up to 48 hours before your tour (and even after your tour if your travel was impeded due to COVID-19 complications). You are worry-free when reserving with us.
Private Tour Upgrades: We offer the easy possibility to make any tour private for only $20 AUD per person for groups of up to 5 people, and $10 AUD per person for larger groups.
Reduced Group Sizes: If you prefer a small group tour, we’ve reduced our groups to a maximum of 10 people.
Symptom-Free: We require that all guests be free of COVID-19 symptoms. Guests exhibiting symptoms of illness, specifically fever, cough, or shortness of breath, may not join the tour.
Social Distancing Measures: In accordance with local regulations we will maintain social distance whenever possible while on tour, and our reserved spaces at our partners’ restaurant locations will adhere to distance requirements.
Frequent Hand Washing and Sanitation: At all venues, your guide or our tour partners will have hand sanitiser and hand-washing facilities available.
Hygenic Servings: We’ve adjusted our tastings where necessary to make sure that no one else in the group will have to touch the same food, plates or cutlery.
Paperless Tours: This was the perfect moment to go fully paperless on tour. Any materials will be sent to you digitally for easy use.
For Our Hosts
Symptom-Free: Guides must take their temperature prior to a tour. Guides and all staff must immediately report to management if they’re feeling ill or experiencing any COVID-19 symptoms. If temperatures are greater than 38ºC they will not be allowed to work.
Frequent hand washing and sanitation: Where possible, guides will bring hand sanitiser to have available throughout the tour, or have access to hand sanitiser at every venue.
Fully Empowered: The safety of our guides is paramount, and guides will have full discretion to make tour changes that enhance the safety and security of guides, guests and tour partners. They will also have the right to refuse service to anyone not complying with safety protocols.
For Our Tour Partners
Compliance with all Local Regulations: Our partner restaurants, bars and cafes take local regulations seriously. They are adhering to social distancing practices and disinfecting all surfaces frequently.
Frequent Sanitisation: Before and after our tours, vendor staff will disinfect risk areas such as tabletops, bars, restroom doorknobs, faucets and toilets.
Individual Servings and Cutlery: Even where it is not the custom, all food tour tastings will be separated and individual to minimize contact. There will be no sharing of utensils or dishes.
Clean Facilities: We only visit restaurants and shops that are adhering to official safety standards and regulations and, where applicable, have been certified as such. All venues we visit require guests to sign in, and we require all guests to abide by these requirements.
Symptom-Free: In turn, we pledge to our tour partners that we will arrive with small groups of symptom-free guests.
Questions?
We look forward to welcoming you back on tour again soon! If you have any questions or comments about our COVID-19 safety measures, please contact us.