- There were 3,962 participating independent restaurants, cafes and pubs, and outlets from smaller chains in Yorkshire and the Humber.
- It has been a resounding success, so much so that some restaurants in the constituency have opted to continue it unilaterally.
Local Conservative MP Alexander Stafford is celebrating the success of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, which gave people in Rother Valley up to 50 per cent off their bills in restaurants, cafes and pubs on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August. He is extremely encouraged that some local businesses are continuing to keep the scheme running throughout September, including:
- Parish Oven, in Thorpe Salvin
- The Station Pub, in Kiveton
- The Butcher's Arms, in Woodsetts
- Loyal Trooper, in South Anston
- Duke of Leeds, in Wales
The scheme played a vital part in the government’s Plan for Jobs that is spurring the country’s economic recovery from coronavirus. Shoppers have spent more in August than before the pandemic hit, with businesses reporting stronger activity.
In Yorkshire and the Humber, there were 3,962 participating independent establishments and outlets. Locally this includes pubs like The Red Lion in Todwick, cafes such as The Café At The Corner in Swallownest, and restaurants including Paulo’s Restaurant in Dinnington.
More than 72,000 establishments participated in total, including independent eateries and family favourites such as Pizza Express, Costa Coffee and Nando’s.
The scheme helped keep more money in hardworking families’ pockets and gave the UK’s hospitality sector a vital boost.
Also included in the Government’s £30 billion Plan for Jobs:
- A temporary cut in VAT for the tourism and hospitality sectors.
- A Job Retention Bonus to encourage employers to retain staff who have been on the furlough scheme, with the Government paying a one-off bonus of £1,000 for every employee who was furloughed and who is kept on until 31 January.
- The temporary removal of stamp duty on all homes under £500,000 until the end of March 2021, to catalyse the housing market.
- A new Kickstart Scheme, which will create hundreds of thousands of new, fully subsidised jobs for young people.
Commenting, Alexander said:
“The Eat Out to Help Out scheme was a fantastic initiative to boost local businesses and protect jobs across our hospitality sector- which has been one of the most affected by coronavirus- while simultaneously allowing families to keep more money in their pockets.
“I am heartened to see local businesses in Rother Valley opting to continue the scheme throughout September as well. This is the ultimate testament to its ingenuity and success.
“I encourage my constituents to keep fuelling the Rother Valley economy by continuing to support their local restaurants, pubs and cafes.”
Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said:
“As the eat out to help out scheme draws to a close, I want to say thank you to the diners who have fallen back in love with their local, to the managers who have spent weeks ensuring their restaurants were safe and to the chefs, waiters and waitresses across the country who have worked tirelessly, sometimes with more customers than they’ve ever had before – all helping to protect 1.8m jobs in the hospitality sector.”
“The scheme reminded us why we as a nation love dining out and I urge diners to maintain the momentum to help continue our economic recovery.”
