Nearly 50,000 meals discounted in Flintshire during last months Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Nearly 50,000 meals were discounted in Flintshire last month under the UK government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

The UK Treasury has revealed figured today which show over 100millions were discounted under the Eat Out to Help Out scheme which ‘significantly boosted’ restaurant bookings during the month of August.

By midnight on 31 August more than 100 million meals were eaten by diners, with the 84,700 establishments signed up to the scheme making 130,000 claims worth £522 million, meaning more jobs are being protected through people getting out and boosting the economy.

In Alyn and Deeside, 17,000 meals were claimed in the 29 establishments which had signed up to the scheme.

The average value of each claim was £5.09, that totalled £87,000 in discounts.

In Delyn, 59 businesses signed up to the scheme, they discounted 29,000 meals to the value of £189,000.

Across North Wales 789 restaurants took part:

• Aberconwy saw 170 restaurants take part, with 118,000 meals claimed for totalling £726,000 with an average discount per meal of £6.15
• Arfon saw 85 restaurants take part, with 53,000 meals claimed for totalling £287,000 with an average discount per meal of £5.42
• Clwyd South saw 45 restaurants take part, with 36,000 meals claimed for totalling £184,000 with an average discount per meal of £5.05
• Clwyd West saw 63 restaurants take part, with 44,000 meals claimed for totalling £310,000 with an average discount per meal of £6.98
• Dwyfor Meirionnydd saw 128 restaurants take part, with 93,000 meals claimed for totalling £544,000 with an average discount per meal of £5.88
• Vale of Clwyd saw 58 restaurants take part, with 46,000 meals claimed for totalling £237,000 with an average discount per meal of £5.17
• Wrexham saw 51 restaurants take part, with 29,000 meals claimed for totalling £164,000 with an average discount per meal of £5.70
• Ynys Môn saw 104 restaurants take part, with 74,000 meals claimed for totalling £453,000 with an average discount per meal of £6.10

These numbers are likely to grow, with restaurants having until the end of September to claim back the 50% government-funded discount applied to bills.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said:

From the get-go our mission has been to protect jobs, and to do this we needed to be creative, brave and try things that no government has ever done before.

Today’s figures continue to show Eat Out to Help Out has been a success. I want to thank everyone, from restaurant owners to waiters, chefs and diners, for embracing it and helping drive our economic recovery.

The scheme is just one part of our Plan for Jobs and we will continue to protect, support and create jobs to ensure we come back stronger as a nation.

According to OpenTable data, restaurant bookings increased by an average of 53% on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout the whole of August, compared to the same days in 2019. In July 2020, restaurant bookings were down 54% on average from Mondays to Wednesdays compared to July 2019.

On 31 August – the final day of the scheme – bookings were up 216% compared to the equivalent day in 2019.

And early signs show that despite ending, the scheme has continued to boost demand, with a 2 per cent rise in restaurant bookings on Tuesday 1 September compared to the equivalent day in 2019, according to OpenTable.

There had been an upward trend in the scheme’s popularity since it launched, with 10.5 million meals claimed for in total in the first week, 35 million meals in the second, 64 million in the third and over 100 million by 31 August.

The scheme was used across the entire UK, with over 84,000 serving 100million meals as part of the scheme.

Nearly 3,000 outlets in Wales were signed up to use the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme as of 27 August, with 2,307,000+ meals claimed for.

The total discount for Wales shown in these figures totals £13,056,000 with an average discount per meal of £5.66 .

Welsh businesses have been praised for continuing with their own versions of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Conservative MS Darren Millar, who represents Clwyd West, said: “Eat Out to Help Out has been a huge success so it’s no wonder that businesses want to adopt a similar incentive to encourage customers to dine out on a permanent basis.

“The scheme has helped restaurants cafes and pubs across Wales to bounce back and it’s been incredibly popular.

“I am delighted that the iconic Welsh brand Brains has decided to introduce its own scheme into September, and that other businesses are also following suit.

“This kind of action – maintaining and building on the stimulus introduced by Chancellor Rishi Sunak – will pay dividends across Wales.”