People Are Petitioning For The Eat Out To Help Out Scheme To Run Until September

Chancellor Rishi Sunak's Eat Out To Help Out scheme is due to end tomorrow, and we're sure going to miss our government-funded half-price meals.

Yet good news could be on the horizon - there's a petition going around urging Dishy Rishi to extend the scheme to September to give restaurants and cafes financial stability prior to a potential second wave of COVID-19 causing local/national lockdowns.

Sign, sign, sign!

Nobody could have predicted the level of success the scheme has achieved, with more than 64 million meals claimed since its launch at the beginning of August.

The F&B industry was one of the hardest hit during the nationwide lockdown, however the Treasury said the outcome represents a continued "upward trend" in dining after 10.5 million meals were claimed in the first week alone, before climbing to 35 million for the first two weeks.

Giving customers 50 per cent off food and non-alcoholic drinks, up to £10, on Monday to Wednesday, no-one

Of his scheme, Rishi said it: "has reminded us how much we love to dine out, and in doing so, how this is helping to protect the jobs of nearly two million people who work in hospitality.

"I am urging everyone, where they can, to continue to safely enjoy a meal while the scheme remains open."

In fact, the scheme has been such a success that pub and hospitality leaders have called on the Treasury to extend the scheme, which ends on Monday 31^st August.

Mike Cherry, the chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said in a statement: "The Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been an overwhelming success in getting people back on their high streets and in their town centres

"We now need to see it extended to continue the critical support that it is providing for small firms as we enter a period of economic make or break."

He added that: "Over the past few weeks, the scheme has been hugely welcomed by small businesses and their customers alike.

"A nationwide one-month extension would go some way to helping many firms which are still only just about managing in this time of crisis. More than 35,000,000 meals have been cooked and dished out across almost 50,000 restaurants and cafes who have been able to reap the rewards of this great initiative, but as we enter September with schools reopening and more people going back to their places of work, there are still strong merits to continuing this for one more month."

While Rishi has not yet commented on whether the scheme will be extended, there's a government petition going round that, at the time we wrote this, had racked up 5,445 signatures. However it needs at least 10,000 before the government has to respond, and if we can get it to 100,000 signatures then it has to be considered for debate in parliament, so go on and do your bit.

Come on, we don't ask you for much!

You can sign the petition here.

Regardless of whether the scheme officially continues, a number of generous establishments have decided to keep offering major discounts during September. Here's a small selection, so be sure to hit them up:

Emilia's Crafted Pasta, Aldgate, London

Sticky Mango, Waterloo, London

Perdu Perdu, Manchester

Paladar, Elephant & Castle, London

The Coconut Tree, Cardiff, Oxford, Cheltenham, Bristol and Bournemouth

Lady of the Grapes, Covent Garden, London

Norma, Fitzrovia, London

Homeslice, various locations, London

Featured Image Credit: Pixabay

Topics: Life News, Tasty Food, News, Coronavirus, Tasty

Naomi Chadderton (FL)

Naomi is a freelance journalist working for Tyla. After graduating from The University of Nottingham, Naomi moved out to Dubai where she worked for Grazia Middle East and Harper's Bazaar Arabia. She is now back home and enjoying the London life.