Eat Out to Help Out Frome

LOCAL eateries have reported booming business,  with customers making the most of the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme. Now the scheme has ended, local businesses are urging people to continue to eat out safely. 

The post lockdown initiative allowed diners who were eating in to get a 50% discount on food every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday until the end of August. Local pubs, cafes and restaurants have reported  an excellent take-up of the scheme.

Kathryn Hayler from the Old Bath Arms said, “It’s been a bit manic. It’s been great for business but it does contradict what everybody set out to do in the first place, with social distancing etc.

“The phone literally rings all day long, we are turning hundreds of customers away. It’s been hard work.”

Kathryn said the first  week they had no idea the impact the scheme would have.  “We learnt from that  and capped bookings when we could – it’s been crazy.”

She thought the scheme might have been easier to manage if it had not been concentrated on three days a week, but spread across five days.

Jay Castello from Castello Italian restaurant said the scheme had been good for both businesses and customers.

“It’s been amazing,  it’s helped a lot” he said. “We didn’t expect it, but we had at least double the number of customers. It’s been good all round – for people getting discounted food and for the restaurants and the government making money from it.”

Jay said it was hard work. “We did struggle as it was like having a triple weekend Friday, Saturday, Sunday,  Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday,” he said.

“But it was very good and now we are just trying to get back to normal.”