Dr Hilary has spoken on what constitutes as a substantial meal in a pub ahead of England's return to a three tier system.
During today's installment of Good Morning Britain, the medical expert told hosts Susanna Reid and Piers Morgan that a substantial meal in a pub would be a 'sit down meal', as opposed to 'a snack'.
It comes as George Eustice, Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, said a Scotch egg would 'probably' count as a substantial meal for the purposes of Covid-19 pub rules.
The minister added that the hearty highland sausage snack would allow pubgoers to order a drink, so long as it was served at a table.
Tier 2 rules mean drinks can only be served in a pub if they're ordered alongside a 'substantial meal' - and punters have to leave once the meal is over.
Discussing the matter on the ITV show, Dr Hilary said: "You can question everything in minute detail, but for me, the idea of it is that people are clamouring to go to have a meal out at a restaurant or a pub - a proper meal out, not a snack - as an excuse to have a few drinks.
"But I think a substantial meal was meant, in the spirit of it, though it wasn't clearly defined, was meant to be a sit down meal - the kind of meal you would have at lunch on a Sunday at home or go to a restaurant to have."
Susanna interjected: "The issues of course if for pub owners mainly, because they need to know are they going to be fined if they serve a sandwich because it's not a substantial meal but not get fined if they serve a scotch egg.
"So although for us it's just a sort of 'oh can I have that or can't I?' But for restaurateurs and pub owners it actually is a really serious issue isn't it, because it is about compliance with the rules."
England will be plunged back into tough new Covid restrictions once the latest lockdown finishes on December 2.
Stricter measures will be introduced under the three-tier system being used in local authorities before the latest lockdown.
