Sam Thompson looked up at the sunny skies and imagined how busy business would have usually been right now at the Bradda Glen cafe.

But these are not normal times.

Mr Thompson, 51, said that with the lovely weather and the sunshine it has been ’heartbreaking’ not to have been able to open up the restaurant, which during normal times would have been busy with locals and visitors alike at this time of year, especially over Easter.

He said the Bradda Glen cafe in is in a ’beautiful spot, it’s lovely, especially on a lovely sunny day like this’.

Mr Thompson, a director of Riverside Restaurant Management, had reopened the popular eaterie just over a year ago after a significant ’chunk of investment’.

They also own the Sound Cafe and the Cregneash Cafe, which also remain closed.

Now Mr Thompson has gathered his team together to launch a delivery service from the Bradda cafe in Port Erin and the indications are that it’s heading to be a success.

He had a ’soft launch’ last weekend and this defied all expectations. ’It went really, really well’, he said.

But he admitted the first night, last Friday, was a ’bit scary’.

He said: ’This may sound very strange but it’s an awful lot easier putting things on plates and presenting them to our customers in the restaurant rather than working out what containers you’re going to put food in.

’A lot of people have already started ringing up and pre-ordering deliveries.

’On Sunday we were open midday to 4pm and I would say 98% of the business was Sunday lunch. I think we put out in the region of 70 Sunday lunches, which for our first run through exceptional. Sunday was all roast dinners, it was just a matter of getting the timings right, it worked out well.’

They are open for six evenings a week from Monday to Saturday as well as the Sunday from midday to 4pm.

Mr Thompson is experimenting with a weekday lunchtime service this week but will review that later.

He said: ’It is great that people are ringing up to book sometimes days ahead in advance.’

They included a woman who has booked for four steak dinners ’with all the works’ to celebrate her son’s birthday on Friday.

It is a family business and Mr Thompson is a co-director with his wife Rebecca. His son Michael, 21, is manager of the cafe while his other children Emily and Josh help out at weekends. His brother and sister-in-law are also involved in the business.

Mr Thompson has no idea how long the current restrictions will go on for.

’Fingers crossed and touching wood we may start relaxing the rules in about six weeks time but I do feel that restaurants and bars are going to be the last in line for that because of the social gathering aspect and everything else.

’So moving forward the delivery aspect of our work is something we are going to continue doing.’

Usually, at the height of summer across all the businesses around 65 people are employed.

’Right now there’s about 20 of us.’

Every week the Courier is printing a free list of local food services including restaurants that offer delivery and collection services.

Those listed in the south of the island include: Coffeecraft, Market Square, Castletown; La Gusto Pizza, Shore Road, Port Erin; Leonardo’s Restaurant, Castle Street, Castletown; Port Erin Chippy; The George, The Parade, Castletown; The Fishhouse, Station Road, Port St Mary; The Viking, Victoria Road, Castletown; and the Tuscany Restaurant, Malew Street, Castletown.