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Eat Out to Help Out.

(287 Posts)
merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 13:45:09

Not sure how successful it's going to be for our age group.

I believe the discount scheme is only available during the month of August, Monday to Wednesday.

A lot of restaurants in our area (East Cambridgeshire) are closed. When they are up and running it will be the school holidays so I'm not sure I will feel safe eating in a restaurant with a lot of children. That's if we can get a booking in the first place.

Quite a few restaurants around here don't even open on a Monday.

How do we know the cut in VAT will be passed on to the customer?

hmm

Ellianne Wed 08-Jul-20 17:51:50

You might be right merlotgran about "specials" being put together on Mon/Tues/Weds because it must be so difficult for eateries to gauge how much to order in at the moment. Food being perishable, you either over order and have to throw a lot away or under order and run out.

merlotgran Wed 08-Jul-20 17:58:42

I've been in the trade, Ellianne so I know all the tricks and when you are desperate for every penny there are plenty to choose from.

I'd have been thrilled to bits if it had been a blanket discount across the whole week.

Ellianne Wed 08-Jul-20 18:04:18

Well, it's good for the tourist eateries because the visitors will dine out when they arrive at the beginning of the week and be too stuffed to eat any more on Thurs/Fri., leaving those days for the serious diners!
I know nothing about the catering industry merlotgran except to say my Waitrose doesn't have much on a Monday! grin

Grandad1943 Wed 08-Jul-20 20:31:11

We did for the first time since lockdown have a cream tea in the garden of a little tea room while visiting Lynton in Devon the other day.

It was great and we both felt better for plucking up the courage to go in. After all, we all cannot stay locked down indefinitely, and we have to at least make an attempt to get life back to something resembling normal in as much as is possible.

vegansrock Thu 09-Jul-20 07:06:23

Will Thursdays be quiet ?

Hetty58 Thu 09-Jul-20 07:14:26

I wouldn't feel safe despite distancing. A lot of potential handling of food, crockery etc. by staff who can't be washing their hands all the time.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 07:29:41

I think that a potential bomb has been thrown into the ring in the form of the report of the Covid aerosol. Now thought to be much wider spread than initially reported, particularly in enclosed spaces like restaurants.

Evidence of this has come from a Chinese restaurant and the widespread level of infection.

kittylester Thu 09-Jul-20 07:30:22

I thought I heard that it applied to take awats too. We had a take away last night that cost £20.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 07:36:27

I don't think it can be used for takeaways or alcohol.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 07:37:47

www.moneysavingexpert.com/news/2020/07/chancellor-announces-50--off-meal-discounts-in-august/

vegansrock Thu 09-Jul-20 07:41:42

More money for Wetherspoons - they’ve already had millions off the taxpayer.

Grandad1943 Thu 09-Jul-20 07:52:27

Whatever the problems the government is right in trying to get Britain's economy working again. The longer people are furloughed the more likely it becomes that they will never return to their employment.

The whole of the United Kingdom and the world faces a deep recession or even an economic depression to the extent not seen since the late nineteen twenties and thirties. In that, those of us who are able should do all we can to try and avoid that situation coming about by spending what we can afford to spend.

The alternative is to witness upheaval and political disorder to the extent of the nineteen-thirties and we all know what that situation brought about.

In this matter, the government is absolutely correct.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 07:56:17

In what way? What Sunak has done is tokenistic. £1000 won't encourage anybody to retain workers. It will go to businesses which would have retained staff anyway.

Urmstongran Thu 09-Jul-20 07:58:46

I agree Grandad1943. The Spanish are eating out! It’s time for those in the U.K. to do similar. The economy needs punters! So many ‘glass half empty’ posters on here.
?

Grandad1943 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:09:04

growstuff

In what way? What Sunak has done is tokenistic. £1000 won't encourage anybody to retain workers. It will go to businesses which would have retained staff anyway.

What Sunak is doing is to create an environment in which people will spend. It is without a doubt little more economically than a gesture, but it is an important gesture in the message that it sends.

It will be for the population of this country and others to pick up on those gestures and spend to avoid economic disaster, and that will be to the great benefit of all.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 08:10:13

Urmstongran

I agree Grandad1943. The Spanish are eating out! It’s time for those in the U.K. to do similar. The economy needs punters! So many ‘glass half empty’ posters on here.
?

Nope, not in my case. I'm not half glass full. In fact, I do remarkably well to stay smiling. It's a token and will do nothing except keep a few half-cut pensioners happy.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:11:19

I’m not going into a restaurant until the aerosol issue is sorted out.

Getting £10 off isn’t worth anyone’s health.

growstuff Thu 09-Jul-20 08:12:06

Grandad1943

growstuff

In what way? What Sunak has done is tokenistic. £1000 won't encourage anybody to retain workers. It will go to businesses which would have retained staff anyway.

What Sunak is doing is to create an environment in which people will spend. It is without a doubt little more economically than a gesture, but it is an important gesture in the message that it sends.

It will be for the population of this country and others to pick up on those gestures and spend to avoid economic disaster, and that will be to the great benefit of all.

No, it won't. Try reading up what some of the serious economists are saying. Johnson was prattling in about a New Deal. This falls woefully short. All it will do is put a few pounds into the owners of places like Weatherspoons.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:13:29

In Spain eating al fresco is normal. Aerosol is dissipated in fresh air but not in confined spaces.
Given the weather in the U.K. it is very hit and miss particularly evenings when it can get very drafty.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:15:31

The thrust of Sunak measures is right, but he woefully lacks ambition and imagination.

Much, much more is needed to kick start our rconomy and we haven’t seen the worst of it yet.

Guineagirl Thu 09-Jul-20 08:16:03

Same as you NotTooOld.

I used to got to a well known coffee shop to sit in before lockdown but seem to have got out the habit and don’t think I’ll be sitting in again when it does open to sit in. It’s funny how habits I created I don’t think I will re do.

I seem to just food shop and petrol, I’ve been getting a decent coffee at the petrol garage when getting fuel.

More than happy to go somewhere remote and cycle now we can travel,

lemongrove Thu 09-Jul-20 08:17:57

Rosalyn69

I think I’d be prepared to give it a go.

Me too, in good local places that we know well.Any money off is a bonus isn’t it, and customers will be much needed on Mondays to Wednesdays by the owners.?

kittylester Thu 09-Jul-20 08:17:58

I'm concerned that we are going back to a service based economy when there is the opportunity to encourage manufacturing. We need to be less reliant on imports.

Whitewavemark2 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:19:33

kittylester

I'm concerned that we are going back to a service based economy when there is the opportunity to encourage manufacturing. We need to be less reliant on imports.

I agree

Grandad1943 Thu 09-Jul-20 08:24:56

growstuff in regard to your post @08:12 today, Weatherspoons and other similar large chain pub-restuarants employ a large amount of people. That work may not be top employment but it is never the less work for very many.

It is for those who wish to detract from what this government is trying to carry out to come forward with alternative proposals that we can all judge upon.

This is the most socialist government in terms of spending that Britain has possessed since the Labour Party government of 1945.