More than 64m meals claimed under Eat Out to Help Out scheme
More than 64m discounted meals have been claimed under the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme to encourage diners to visit cafes, pubs and restaurants following the coronavirus lockdown.
The jump continues the upward trend, which saw 10.5m meals claimed in the first week that the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme was launched, growing to 35m meals in the second, according to data from the Treasury.
The discount scheme, which comes to an end on 31 August, allows dine-in customers to receive a 50 per cent discount on food and soft drinks, up to the value of £10, on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout this month.
Data from Opentable showed that the number of customers in UK restaurants soared 61 per cent compared to the same days last year.
In total, 87m claims have been made by the businesses that have signed up and there have been more than 34m searches on the government’s restaurant finder, with 13m unique users.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak said: “Today’s figures continue to show that Brits are backing hospitality – with more than 64 million meals discounted so far, that’s equivalent to nearly every person in the country dining out to protect jobs.
“This scheme has reminded us how much we love to dine out, and in doing so, how this is helping to protect the jobs of nearly 2 million people who work in hospitality.
“I am urging everyone, where they can, to continue to safely enjoy a meal while the scheme remains open.”
Around 80% of hospitality firms stopped trading in April, with 1.4 million workers furloughed, the highest of any sector.
Many restaurants have reopened since being given the green light by the government on 4 July, and Eat Out to Help Out was designed to encourage customers to dine-out following months of lockdown.
Andy Laurillard, chief executive of restaurant chain Giggling Squid, said the Eat Out to Help Out discount has been a “massive hit with customers and staff”.
“The tremendous success of the August scheme, combined with the temporary VAT reduction and fantastic support from our landlord community have made the difference between failure and survival of our business,” he said.