Government to offer 50% off discounts on eating out in August - MSE News

SarahinLondon

Personally I think it's more than a little daft to run an obesity campaign alongside all this though, don't you guys? Eating out is great and it's a good idea to promote it, but I think Boris has awful timing telling everyone they're too fat

Paul_Herring

Personally I think it's more than a little daft to run an obesity campaign alongside all this though, don't you guys?

Large parts of the obesity campaign itself are daft (to euphemistically write 'wrong.')

telling everyone they're too fat

And that's one of the problems. Everyone isn't too fat. But the campaign is being run as if everyone were not only fat, but morbidly obese.

Other problems being: presuming no-one has any agency in what they eat or buy (so no chocolate near the tills, no BOGOFS, no adverts for strawberry jam before 9pm on TV, none at all on the internet) another being how childhood 'obesity' is wrongly measured (it's based upon the 95th percentile of American kids in 1990,) yet another - the presumption that our betters should dictate how we should be living. etc.

bazwaldo

MTwallet_2 said:

The Hungry Horse chain (Greene King) is taking part in the scheme but their usual Daily Deals do not apply. It doesn't say that on their website or in the pub I visted. For example the Tuesday Daily Deal is selected big plates for £6 each, two meals £12.

Under the Eat Out to Help Out scheme the same meal is now full price on a Tuesday £10.29, two meals £20.58 less 50% making £10.29. Just giving a heads up so that customers know before they go, it might affect what meal you select from the menu.

That is naughty. If the menu in the pub indicates a deal is active, then the 50% discount should be applicable alongside this.

Takmon

SarahinLondon said:

Personally I think it's more than a little daft to run an obesity campaign alongside all this though, don't you guys? Eating out is great and it's a good idea to promote it, but I think Boris has awful timing telling everyone they're too fat

It is possible to eat out and not be fat, even regularly going out and eating unhealthy food you can still remain a healthy weight as long as you exercise enough and are sensible with how much you eat overall and don't eat too much everyday. Lot's of people seem to think regularly eating unhealthy food will make you fat but that's not always true because you can eat unhealthy food and still lose weight if you don't eat too much. 

Paul_Herring

Lot's of people seem to think regularly eating unhealthy food will make you fat

Probably because we're constantly told it is so. Normally by tax-payer-funded 'charities' whose continued existence entirely depends on it being thought so.

Thrugelmir

Takmon said:

Paul_Herring said:

Well i don't think being given a 50% discount in replacement of a 10% discount would make people less likely to eat out.

Knowing that the business is clawing back the (up to a) tenner from the government, and the withdrawn 10% from the customer, will probably make regulars of the establishment less likely to visit in future however.

If the restaurant offers good and friendly service with good food and people decide they are less likely to go just because the restaurant is trying to make a bit of extra money to actually survive then that's a pretty poor attitude to have in my opinion. 

Our local pub was fully booked tonight.  Table service only.  Very Covid aware. Down to 60% seating capacity. Busy enough to take on a new member of staff. A rude awakening for someone doing their first job ever!  They simply showed the £10 per head deduction on the bottom of the bill. All food is either locally sourced or homemade. Just the boost the economy needs. 
We've been recommended by friends to an Italian that's only recently opened. Going to make the most of the free meals on offer. 

lisyloo

Takmon said:

SarahinLondon said:

Personally I think it's more than a little daft to run an obesity campaign alongside all this though, don't you guys? Eating out is great and it's a good idea to promote it, but I think Boris has awful timing telling everyone they're too fat

It is possible to eat out and not be fat, even regularly going out and eating unhealthy food you can still remain a healthy weight as long as you exercise enough and are sensible with how much you eat overall and don't eat too much everyday. Lot's of people seem to think regularly eating unhealthy food will make you fat but that's not always true because you can eat unhealthy food and still lose weight if you don't eat too much. 

I find it easier to eat out personally.
lighter options are available or I can take a doggy box.
i have better strategies out than in as im more in charge of what I order when I’m out.

RobM99

barhug said:

Does the offer include meals eaten on the cafe's tables outside??  Much better for avoiding Covid-19

It did at a local pub (lunch yesterday).

Jools123

Went to my local pub last week and they refused to take the discount off of the soft drinks we ordered. They said it only applies if we're dining in too. But on their FB page it clearly states that soft drinks are included, no mention of only if you're eating too. My husband bought the drinks and didn't want to take it further - he know's I'm the complainer of the two of us! So next time I'm definitely going to say something.

p00hsticks

Jools123 said:

Went to my local pub last week and they refused to take the discount off of the soft drinks we ordered. They said it only applies if we're dining in too. But on their FB page it clearly states that soft drinks are included, no mention of only if you're eating too. My husband bought the drinks and didn't want to take it further - he know's I'm the complainer of the two of us! So next time I'm definitely going to say something.

Given that the scheme is called 'Eat Out to Help Out' it seems the correct interpretation to me that you only get the discount on soft drinks if they're to accompany a meal, although I can see that you could read it the way you have. 

https://www.gov.uk/guidance/get-a-discount-with-the-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme