Northumberland restaurants claim over £2 million from Eat out to Help Out

Anyone eating at participating outlets, Monday to Wednesday during August 2020, could have a Government-funded 50% discount on food and soft drinks, up to a maximum of £10, with restaurants claiming the money back.

The figures show a total of 373 Northumberland outlets registering for the scheme, with £2,030,000 being claimed for 342,000 meals. This averages at £5.94 per meal.

The statistics were provided for each of the UK’s parliamentary constituencies. Northumberland has four. The average claimed in Hexham was £6.57 per meal.

In Berwick it was £6.03, with Wansbeck averaging £5.58, but Blyth Valley just £4.96. Of the 373 participating outlets, 149 were in Berwick, 125 in Hexham, 57 in Wansbeck and 42 in Blyth Valley.

Across the North East 2,467 outlets registered with £14,454,000 being claimed for 2,413,000 meals, an average of £5.99 per meal. The UK average is £5.79 with the highest in Essex constituency Rayleigh and Wickford at £8.22 per meal.

Nationally 70,666 outlets have claimed £363 million for 63 million meals. However, the statistics only include businesses with 25 or fewer participating outlets. The figures increase considerably when major chains are taken into account.

The Treasury says restaurants have so far made around 130,000 claims worth £522m, with figures set to rise as claims can be made until the end of September.

Eat Out to Help Out was introduced in response to alarming figures for the restaurant industry. Monday to Wednesday bookings in July 2020 were down 54% on compared with the previous year.

According to OpenTable, the final day of the scheme Monday, August 31 saw a 216% rise in bookings against the equivalent day in 2019.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak told the BBC: "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.”

This is how much was claimed through the Eat Out to Help Out deal across the North East:

Newcastle upon Tyne Central - £1,977,000Newcastle upon Tyne East - £1,153,000City of Durham - £927,000Berwick-upon-Tweed - £826,000Sunderland Central - £735,000Hexham - £622,000South Shields - £451,000North Durham - £392,000Stockton North - £378,000Easington - £374,000Hartlepool - £365,000Washington and Sunderland West - £300,000Houghton and Sunderland South - £284,000Jarrow - £200,000

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