HUNDREDS of restaurants, cafes, pubs and fast food outlets across Berkshire are now offering half-price meals thanks to a new Government initiative. 

Today sees the launch of Eat Out To Help Out, which sees participating venues give diners up to 50% off their bills, up to £10, if they visit on a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday in August. 

The offer is only on food and non-alcoholic drinks, there is no minimum spend and no voucher to take – the participating sites will deduct the discount from the bill. 

There is no minimum spend and the discount can be used at the same time as other offers and discounts. The maximum discount per person is £10. All diners in a group of any size will qualify for the automatic discount.

And the scheme is open to all types of business, from the big chains such as Pizza Express and Nando’s, and family-owned restaurants such as Sanpa inn Wokingham. 

It is part of Chancellor Rishi Sunak’s Plan For Jobs, which includes a focus on the hospitality sector, which is also enjoying a VAT reduction from 20% to 5%. 

Across the country, more than 72,000 establishments. 

To help people find their local restaurants, last week the Government launched a postcode checker. It lists sites within five miles of the address entered. There have already been over 3.3 million and many restaurants have since seen a boost in bookings. 

Chancellor 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.

“More than 72,000 establishments will be serving discounted meals across the country, with the government paying half the bill. 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.”

He added that the scheme will help protect the jobs of the hospitality industry’s 1.8 million employees by encouraging people to safely return to their local restaurants, cafes and pubs where social-distancing rules allow.

The Government acknowledges that some people may be worried about returning to eat out, but points out that businesses have prepared to become Covid-secure through, for example, protective screens, contactless payments, social distancing, one way walking systems, online bookings and reduced capacity.

To help people, Wokingham.Today has created a Google Map showing all the venues taking part in Wokingham and neighbouring towns. 

The information was correct as of Saturday, August 2, but more restaurants may have signed up since this point. Some venues are part of chains and the parent company has said they are open, but this may not be case – advance booking is advisable to avoid disappointment. 

Some restaurant names vary from the business name, this may be reflected in the data you see on the map. 

And the pins placed on the map are approximate and based on the postcode of the venue. 

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