How To Find All The "Eat Out To Help Out" Restaurants In Your Area

It’s very likely that over the last few months you’ve spent a lot of time in your kitchen whether you like to cook or not. However, lockdown is easing in the UK, meaning restaurants, bars, and cafés are opening back up and the government has set up the Eat Out To Help Out scheme in order to tempt patrons back to their old haunts. But how do you find the restaurants taking part in Eat Out To Help Out?

Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday between Aug. 3 and Aug. 31, UK diners can get a 50% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks when eating at an establishment taking part in the Eat Out To Help Out initiative. The venue will then be able to claim back your discount from the government.

Finding out which restaurants are taking part couldn't be easier: just type in your postcode (or the postcode of where you want to eat out) into this website to see where the 50% discount will apply. You don't need a voucher and you can claim the discount as many times as you want.

Nando’s, Pizza Express, Zizzi, Bill’s, and McDonalds are some of the big-name chains that have signed up to take part in the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. However, it's also likely that the independent cafés and restaurants in your area may be part of the initiative too so you should look to see which ones you can support at this time.

Speaking about the initiative on the BBC, Chancellor Rishi Sunak said, "Our 'eat out to help out' scheme's number one aim is to help protect the jobs of 1.8 million chefs, waiters and restaurateurs by boosting demand and getting customers through the door. The industry is a vital ingredient to our economy and it's been hit hard by coronavirus, so enjoy summer safely by showing your favourite places your support – we'll pay half."

The scheme has faced criticism for plastering over a much larger problem. The hospitality industry has been one of the hardest hit since the beginning of the pandemic, with an estimated 1.4 million hospitality workers being furloughed and thousands of establishments facing permanent closures. Restaurant owners have called for a reform on rents and business rates in order to solve the issue long term. Criticism has also emerged in terms of how the new scheme may affect weekend trade.

If you're planning on eating out at a restaurant this month, remember that you don’t have to wear a mask or face covering but it’s important to maintain two meters distances from anyone outside your household.