Diners in Banff and Buchan have claimed discounts on 66,000 meals under the UK Government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak launched the initiative to provide a boost to the hospitality sector which has been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic.
A total of 89 restaurants, bars and cafes in the Banff and Buchan parliamentary constituency have taken part.
The offer was for 50% off the price of a meal up to a maximum of £10 per head and was available Mondays to Wednesdays throughout August.
Figures released by the UK Government have shown that customers in Banff and Buchan claimed £397,000 in discounts – with an average of £6 per meal.
Scottish Conservative MP for Banff and Buchan David Duguid said:
Rishi Sunak’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been a great success across the UK – and I am delighted to see so many people took advantage of the offer here in Banff and Buchan.
The discount deal brought many more people through the doors of restaurants and cafes that were struggling due to the pandemic.
This will have supported jobs and provided a very welcome boost to business owners in the hospitality sector – as well as helping customers save some money.
It is just one of the measures introduced by the UK Government to support the nation through the Coronavirus crisis.
A third of all jobs in Scotland have also been protected through the HMRC furlough scheme, while the self-employed have also been supported to the tune of £459millionn and businesses have benefited from grants and loans.
All of this proves the value of the four nations of the UK pooling together to get through this crisis.
