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[Food] The Government's Eat Out To Help Out scheme



Bry Nylon

Test your smoke alarm
Helpful Moderator
Jul 21, 2003
20,573
Playing snooker
Effectively ends tonight (although I guess still technically available on Bank Holiday Monday?)

Who on NSC has taken advantage of this scheme the most? Just once here and that was by accident.
 






Poojah

Well-known member
Nov 19, 2010
1,881
Leeds
We’ve used this more than I anticipated we would to be honest. We went up to Scotland for a few days a couple of weeks ago and went to a really nice gastropub on the outskirts of Edinburgh on the Monday night. For me, the wife and the kids it cost just over sixty quid for three courses - comparable to what we’d usually pay at a bog standard family chain restaurant normally. It was literally cheaper to take the kids with us than to have left them at hone, as we got the full £40 discount (£10 per person).

We then stopped at another, more basic pub near Newcastle on the way back. It was nothing flash, but to feed the whole family for less than £15, including a pint for me, can’t be knocked. We then went out again on Monday evening, which we wouldn’t normally do. Again, really nice meal for us all for about £50, plus a healthy tip (and admittedly, I’m not the world’s greatest tipper). My wife took our son out fo lunch today as well and I think they both ate for less than a tenner.

My biggest observation is how busy everywhere has been, at times when they would normally be dead. It’s been incredibly hard finding places we could get in. If the scheme was designed to entice people out of their homes and get people back into the habit of dining out then it’s been a roaring success. Credit where it’s due, the government got this one spot on (and I’ve rarely, if ever, said that about this government).
 




Bodian

Well-known member
May 3, 2012
14,250
Cumbria
Effectively ends tonight (although I guess still technically available on Bank Holiday Monday?)

Who on NSC has taken advantage of this scheme the most? Just once here and that was by accident.

Just once, and also by accident! Went for a meeting outdoors at the pub, and intended to have a bowl of soup - only to have it pointed out it was all half-price. One huge chicken sandwich and chips later, I was a very happy chappy. Reminded me of when eating out in the Lake District was at reasonable prices, unlike the rich-tourist mark-up that deters us locals.
 




Chicken Run

Member Since Jul 2003
NSC Patron
Jul 17, 2003
19,805
Valley of Hangleton
Effectively ends tonight (although I guess still technically available on Bank Holiday Monday?)

Who on NSC has taken advantage of this scheme the most? Just once here and that was by accident.

Out tonight at Gars, not on the scheme( they made it clear at booking) and it was a pleasure, not packed, no waiting and excellent service.
 


Mr Putdown

Well-known member
Jan 26, 2004
2,901
Christchurch
I think this scheme has been a massive success, I only have to look at my wife who is now way more comfortable with going out as a direct result of Eat Out to Help Out.

Having said that, she booked us into a small hotel on the New Forest for lunch today as there was no availability anywhere locally in Christchurch.

Imagine my joy at spending just shy of fifty quid on taxis to save £20 on a proper shit meal.
 






maffew

Well-known member
Dec 10, 2003
9,011
Worcester England
have no doubt some places will be claiming while not giving the 50% rate. there are loose rules, to maximise sign up, and list all those registered. theres a link at bottom of the scheme page to report them.

Ive no doubt some places are putting through Thursday to Sunday orders on a Monday to Wednesday and claiming half back

This schemes been hugely popular here, almost all cafes and restaurants doing it. Its been a god send according to the couple of independent coffee shops I go to, recouping a lot of the lost revenue from earlier in the year
 


Wrong-Direction

Well-known member
Mar 10, 2013
13,634
I hope places do extend it as I havent taken advantage!

Sent from my SM-A600FN using Tapatalk
 


Guinness Boy

Tofu eating wokerati
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Jul 23, 2003
37,339
Up and Coming Sunny Portslade
This has been brilliant to be honest. A few local reviews going up on the Restaurant 2020 thread when I'm not completely stuffed and half pissed.
 




Shropshire Seagull

Well-known member
Nov 5, 2004
8,787
Telford
Pub grub with mate
Curry with mate
Spoons breakfast with missus
Bistro lunch with daughter & missus TWICE

so five ....

The spoons effort was under a fiver !!

However, I recon the bistro places had hiked up their prices as today's was £66 for 3 of us, £36 paid after discount [no alcohol either].
 




Easy 10

Brain dead MUG SHEEP
Jul 5, 2003
62,404
Location Location
Ended up in Bognor with the doris on Monday on the way back from a weekend in the muff. Wound up in spoons for lunch, where I had a 10oz rump steak with all the trimmings (chips, grilled tomato, mushroom, peas, onion rings) she had an 8oz sirloin similarly, plus it included a pint for me, and a large white wine for her. £14 something. And it was done to perfection.

Absolutely ridiculous.
 




The Clamp

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jan 11, 2016
26,182
West is BEST
I keep forgetting about it and being nicely surprised when the bill arrives. Steak & eggs at Perch, coffee and tea at Small Batch, a slap up fish supper in town and a few other bits I forget, have all been surprisingly cheap. Seems to be keeping the riff raff out of the nicer places too, as they are all at McDonald's gorging themselves on half price nuggets and various other discounted brown shapes.
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,683
The Fatherland
This has been brilliant to be honest. A few local reviews going up on the Restaurant 2020 thread when I'm not completely stuffed and half pissed.

Good work. Envy isn’t a commodity I usually bother with, and I’ve said this before, but I’m certainly envious I wasn’t able to participate in this scheme.

Look forward to the reviews.
 




Notters

Well-known member
Oct 20, 2003
24,889
Guiseley
It's called 'Essentials' and some of the products are .... well .... anything but 'Essential' .... unless you consider mussels in a white wine sauce 'Essential'.

Mussels are a good, cheap and delicious meal and an excellent source of protein - though I always cook fresh ones admittedly, not in a sauce.
 




Tom Bombadil

Well-known member
Jul 14, 2003
6,106
Jibrovia
Ended up in Bognor with the doris on Monday on the way back from a weekend in the muff. Wound up in spoons for lunch, where I had a 10oz rump steak with all the trimmings (chips, grilled tomato, mushroom, peas, onion rings) she had an 8oz sirloin similarly, plus it included a pint for me, and a large white wine for her. £14 something. And it was done to perfection.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Taking a lady to a weatherspoons in Bognor Regis, you must be knee deep in clunge with moves like that
 


Herr Tubthumper

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 11, 2003
62,683
The Fatherland


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