To ask do you actually have to eat a meal

What do the restrictions for your area say? That will give you your answer.

Yes you have to have a substantial meal

Scotch egg will do apparently. 😂

Yes you cant leave your broccoli or you'll get covid.

Just buy a bowl of chips and a scotch egg or burger, no rules say you have to eat it all

Not in Wales you can't sorry.

Just go Bargain Booze, buy a bottle of Buckfast and chin that back on your local park bench.

Yes. The meal can be a starter but you have to eat something and leave when it's finished - good times!

Pretty sure you can only have the alcohol as a meal accompaniment.

Errr yes it does
Level 2
Alcohol only served as part of a substantial meal!

As for the people saying just order it, you have to pay for it, unless OP has a tenner to throw away I suspect she’ll want something for that tenner!

Assuming you are Tier 2, The restrictions clearly say they can only serve alcohol with meals -

"pubs and bars must close, unless operating as restaurants. Hospitality venues can only serve alcohol with substantial meals."

www.gov.uk/guidance/local-restriction-tiers-what-you-need-to-know#high-alert

Yes. Eat slowly, drink fast.

Round here a few pubs are offering very cheap (£2.50) "substantial meals" and advising people not to finish it all so they can carry on drinking as long as they want. It's all a farce.

However I’ve seen posts on Facebook etc that you basically have to have a meal to be able go to a pub.

You can have a drink without a meal, as long as it's not alcoholic. Or if you want a glass of wine then order a scotch egg too, apparently that's a "substantial meal".

You don't need to eat outside unless you're with people not in your household. You need to check what your local pubs are doing. If they are usually restaurant type pubs that's probably what they'll be doing now. It's the pubs who usually are primarily drinking pubs which are more likely to be offering cheap food (to get round the rules and stay open).

The rules make no sense - but it is the rule - anywhere I’ve been so far you have to order food before they will even take a drinks order.

Complaining about how stupid it is and saying Il only be there for half an hour and half one drink won’t help your case.

I have been in three pubs since the new substantial meal rule came in. I queried the rules in the first pub, and was told anything but desserts or nuts counted, as long as it was at least one item per person, so a bowl of chips each would have counted. We had more because we were hungry, second pub was similar, I.e. £5 garlic bread would have covered the rule (again we had more because we were hungry and we’re greedy) third pub, only had a pot of tea, so didn’t ask about their rules.

It’s just to stop people going to the pub to get hammered and then not sticking to distancing rules. The food doesn’t obviously stop you catching covid.

It might not make sense but that’s what they’re aiming for. While keep the pubs open to keep businesses open.

However I think food is a loss leader for many pubs so this many not help them. The pub advising people to eat slow is obviously keen to get its alcohol sales up for this reason.

I have friends (a couple) who have booked a table at 4 pm in a pub for dinner, aiming for a long look at the menu (ahem) before ordering food, then another long look at the pudding menu... after which they may even decide against pudding!

I don't think they make you eat it all. Could you imagine the landlord/lady taking on the role of mother hen. "Now finish your greens else you won't be able to drink your Chardonnay"

They may frown upon a whole meal being wasted but you could give it to your dog!

Oh but round here alcoholic drinks don't come to the table until the food does.

Just ring the pub and ask?