Eat out to help out

[Givemethechocolate]

I heard in the news that this could possibly be coming back. What do people think of this? Do you think it contributed to increased cases of covid?

@SummerHouse

I think an adapted version. Eat out, out to help out. 50% off meals eaten outside or takeaway.

That'll be fun in the arse end of winter, early spring.

Didn’t use it last time and wouldn’t this time. I’d rather a eat at home discount.

Restaurants can serve/deliver take aways we stay safer and restaurants get money. We get a discount for staying away and those who go in pay the normal prices.

I call it Eat out, spread it all about. No thanks.

I did go to a cafe once when it was on last year but only because numbers in our area were really low at the time. It will take a very long time to get numbers down that low again with the more contagious new variant.

Yes I definitely think it did increase cases but it’s better than businesses sinking!

I hardly had anytime so I only ate out once and the place was empty!

I don't know if it directly contributed to the rise in cases, but I'm sure it was an indirect factor because it sent the wrong message. It gave the (false) impression that Covid was on its way out, and hence people no longer needed to be careful.

I didn't take part last time although we did eat out a few times in the summer and December when it was quieter. I won't be going to any restaurants if I have to eat outside, I hate it! I'll continue with takeaways until I can eat in a restaurant

I took advantage of the Eat out to Help Out last summer as well.
All the places I went to there was proper social distancing, screens up, no contact with anyone.
The way everywhere was spaced out, didn't seem risky at all, seemed perfectly safe.

Isn't the point though that it'll be completely different this year? By, say, August (if that's when they do it again), we'll be in a much better position with the vaccine rollout - most of us will be as fully protected as we possibly can be against the virus making us very ill? And the vaccine may help against transmission too??

I mean, I don't think The Government will actually do it again as everyone will slag them off for it, but I bet my local will do their own half price thing tbh.

Is nobody else on the thread ever going to the pub again?

Is nobody else on the thread ever going to the pub again?

I am!! At the first opportunity and then every night for at least a week, with or without a discount

Nar, still losing the chub from the last time. I helped out a bit too much.

@PuppyMonkey

Isn't the point though that it'll be completely different this year? By, say, August (if that's when they do it again), we'll be in a much better position with the vaccine rollout - most of us will be as fully protected as we possibly can be against the virus making us very ill? And the vaccine may help against transmission too??

I mean, I don't think The Government will actually do it again as everyone will slag them off for it, but I bet my local will do their own half price thing tbh.

Is nobody else on the thread ever going to the pub again?

Happy to go, but I don’t think the taxpayer should subsidise other people going through another £900 million scheme.

Is nobody else on the thread ever going to the pub again?

Me!! I am!!
As soon as they're open, I'm going to go.
I went to one last summer, when things started to cautiously open up again and it was fine - lots of social distancing, no standing at the bar, wandering around etc, staying in your own groups.
Would love to go out for a meal, or just for a few drinks again.

Mad scheme last year and would be even madder this year when most people are keen to get back out there anyway.

We are supporting local restaurants by buying takeaways, as anyone who can afford to should do.

Oh and yes, we're in a much better position this time round as lots of people will have been vaccinated whereas no-one was before.

@LimaFoxtrotCharlie

I object to the taxpayer subsidising meals for people who could afford to pay for themselves and would have gone out to eat anyway. I think there is so much pent-up demand for eating out that there will be no need for a “boost”; most people I know can’t wait to go to a restaurant with friends

@LimaFoxtrotCharlie

Agreed. Bonkers idea Boris, if you're listening.

That link covers the lobbying by Deliveroo and others in the catering trade.

It doesn't give ne single clue about the response of the government.

@LucilleTheVampireBat but would you go out to eat without the scheme? I would

Oh yes, definitely. I'd honestly pack into a bar or restaurant tomorrow if I could. EOTHO just meant we were put during the week as well as at weekends

Imbecilic. I. Can't. Even.

There are plenty of other industries in their knees, too.

Eat pies to die is quite the slogan. Not sure Rishi will go for it but you never know.

Eat pies to die is quite the slogan

I hated the whole idea of it and thought it was a waste of time. My husband is a chef and said they were run off their feet. It was way too busy and not safe at all IMO. Far too many people out at once even with so called social distancing in place, which is not really happening the way it actually should in many restaurants bars or pubs from what I’ve heard. I never used it and never would. I wouldn’t feel safe enough to do so.
And I believe it was hypocritical because hairdressers and beauty salons were still closed, even though they could maintain a higher standard of hygiene and have way fewer people in one place at one time.
I refused to accept that I could go to a restaurant with loads of other people where masks weren’t necessary at the time and can’t be worn the whole time you’re there. But I couldn’t go to get my nails and eyebrows done, even though I’d feel extremely safe there, safer than I feel anywhere else in fact, when I can see the standard of hygiene and correct procedures being followed, and plus the fact that even before this all started, the entire place was exceptionally clean, so clean I could eat off the floor in there.
So no I didn’t support it and won’t if it happens again.

Hey, direct your eye rolls at the person who said it back on page 2, I can't take creative credit for it!

@vera99

Could call it ;

"New variant eat out"

"Fill plates to help the virus mutate."

"Eat pies to help die"

"Eat Out - help spread Covid About"

Eat pies to help die...I mean, it's not great but 🤷‍♀️

Don’t have a problem with it in principle and I haven’t seen evidence (happy to be corrected if someone can forward stats) that it contributed to significant increases in community transmission. We wont be rid of COVID for a long time (ever?) so you have to learn to live with it. The models always predicted a second and worst wave over winter, which has been compounded by poor policy decisions no doubt, but unclear how an early summer incentive contributed when cases were so low then. I don’t see the correlation in stats.

The to comments of ‘we’ll be paying for this for generations’. Yes we will - either in furlough, discounted eating out or just a massive welfare state bill for millions of people who’ve lost their jobs so bit of a naive view of the economy whether you agree with the scheme or not.

I don't know if it's a good idea or not. All I know is that we had a great time last summer, we had a UK holiday and ate out a lot, either outside restaurants or very socially distanced inside. We were very careful (and lucky) and didn't catch anything. It was such a treat after the crappy spring that we had.

But that was last year, things are different now.