East Devon restaurants urged to register for Government’s eat out scheme

The scheme gives diners an opportunity to eat out at any registered restaurant on any Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August Picture: Getty Images (Image: Siam Pukkato)

Following Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcement about the Government’s support package to help boost the hospitality and tourism industry, East Devon restaurants, pubs and cafes are being urged to register for the Treasury’s Eat Out to Help Out Scheme.

The scheme gives diners an opportunity to eat out at any registered restaurant on any Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August, where a maximum sum of £10 per person will be discounted from the final bill.

This welcome dine-in bonus is further enhanced by the already introduced 15% reduction in VAT within the hospitality and tourism industries, where many local businesses are passing on the financial benefit to the customer.

Already, several national restaurant chains such as Nando’s and Wetherspoons have expressed a positive interest in the scheme and local independent eating-in establishments are also being encouraged to take advantage of the support.

Starting from Monday, August 3 and running until Monday, August 31, people will be able to dine out and enjoy a 50% discount, up to a maximum of £10 per person, on food and non-alcoholic drinks when they eat in at a restaurant, pub or cafe. Alcoholic drinks, takeaways and service charges are excluded from the offer.

The offer is available all day, so covers breakfasts, lunches and dinners, and there is no limit to the number of times a customer can use the deal during the time allowed.

The scheme is open to establishments that sell food for immediate consumption on their premises. It does not extend to businesses that run mobile food vans, offer catering for private functions or to those that only offer takeaway food or drink.

To claim the money back from the government, all food businesses needed to be registered with the relevant local authority on or before July 7 and, separately, must be registered with the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme. Detailed records should be kept about the total number of customers that use the scheme, the value of transactions and the total amount of discounts given.

The service to claim reimbursements will be active from August 7 until September 30, and HMRC will pay eligible claims within five working days.

To register, businesses should visit www.gov.uk/guidance/register-your-establishment-for-the-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme.