Blue Boar Witney

Pubs and restaurants across Oxfordshire are continuing the Eat Out to Help Out scheme by planning to offer their own discounts to customers throughout September.

So far, those offering discounts and offers this month include:

  • The Rickety Press in Jericho,
  • Up In Arms in Marston,
  • Rusty Bicycle in East Oxford,
  • Hollybush Osney in Oxford,
  • The Greyhound in Letcombe Regis,
  • Franco Manca in George Street,
  • 215 Kitchen and Drinks in Summertown,
  • The Blue Boar in Witney,
  • The Crown and Thistle in Abingdon,
  • The Coconut Tree in St Clements Oxford,
  • The White Hart in Minster Lovell,
  • Il Gusto in Witney,
  • Victors in The Westgate
  • The Old Post Office in Wallingford
  • The Banana Tree, Oxford
  • The Plough at 38
  • The Porterhouse, Osney

Catriona Galbraith from The Greyhound Inn at Letcombe Regis said: “We have decided to continue a similar offer ourselves into September in the hope that people will still appreciate a bargain. So many customers have enjoyed the government’s Eat Out To Help Out scheme this August, and we’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who joined us.

“It’s been so great to see the pub bustling with life again that we’ve decided to launch our own Keep On Eating Out promotion throughout September, so customers can continue to get great savings on dining with us.”

Liam Whittle, head chef at The Greyhound in Letcombe Regis

The Greyhound is offering a 25% discount off all food, up to a maximum of £5 per person, per visit, from Monday to Friday throughout September. Customers can use it for breakfast, lunch or dinner – and come back as many times as they like. The scheme starts on Tuesday.

Dodo Pubs, which runs The Rusty Bicycle in East Oxford, The Rickety Press in Jericho and Up In Arms in Marston has decided to extend the promotion through to September.

Rickety Press pizza

Director Leo Johnson said: “We’ve been so lucky to have had so many customers take advantage of the scheme that we wanted to thank them and carry on the good times this September. Times are tough at the moment but seeing so many friendly faces in our pubs again makes it worth it.” http://www.dodopubs.com/locations/

215 Kitchen and Drinks in Summertown has announced it is extending its Eat Out to Help Out offer with £10 off its lunch menu every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday throughout September.

Banana Tree in Oxford, recently launched its own version – Eat Out 2 Help Out! giving all customers that dine in on Mondays-Wednesdays in September 2 for 1 on main courses.

The starters at Banana Tree

“So far, we’ve had a very positive reaction online from our customers and those that visit us, and we may possibly extend this offer in to October,” Banana tree’s Carolina Silva Faria says.

The Plough at 38 on Cornmarket is the latest to join the ranks, with 50% off food and non-alcoholic drinks throughout the whole of September, up to £10 per person Monday-Wednesday, from 5.30pm

Pizzeria Franco Manca in George Street has also extended the scheme throughout September and will be continuing to offer 50% off food and soft drinks from Monday to Wednesday when you dine in. The pizza business championed slow-rising sourdough pizza and properly sourced, small supplier, seasonal ingredients.

Franco Manca

The Hollybush Osney in Oxford is joining them by introducing the ‘half the price, twice as nice’ offer, adding “Eat Out To Help Out might be over but that won’t stop us.” The Oxford pub is now offering 50% off all food on Mondays and Tuesdays throughout September.

Victors on the roof of The Westgate Centre has followed suit bu also extending their own version of Eat Out To Help Out throughout September “to give something back”, with 50% off all food and soft drinks Monday-Wednesday all day from noon. There is no spending cap but you will need to pre-book.

The Coconut Tree in St Clements, Oxford has announced 50% off everything except booze throughout September, Monday-Wednesday. “The nights may be drawing in and the summer slipping by, but Eat Out To Help Out is still going strong at The Coconut Tree,” they say.

The Coconut Tree team

As if that wasn’t enough in October this will extend to 50% off, except booze, during Monday-Wednesday lunchtimes.

Oakman Inns, which operates three family-friendly pubs in Oxfordshire, The Blue Boar in Witney, The Crown and Thistle in Abingdon and The Old Post Office in Wallingford, has chosen to continue the scheme through the whole of September.

According to the company’s CEO, Dermot King, the scheme appears to have achieved its aim of bringing back those customers who were hesitant about eating out. He said: “According to one recent survey, more than half said that the experience made them feel more confident about going out in the near future, and most of the rest (45%) said their confidence was unaffected.”

Old Post Office, Wallingford

With table-only service, their restaurants were often fully booked during the first two weeks, with many of the customers making their first visit to an Oakman Inn.

However, keen to maintain this momentum, Oakman Inns has now taken the decision to continue to offer 50% off, up to a maximum of £10 per person, all food and soft drinks consumed on the premises on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays – including breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.

“There is no doubt that the Eat Out to Help Out scheme has been a major factor in helping us get back on our feet after several months without any revenue at all,” said Dermot King.

Oakman Inns has brought back from furlough their near 1,000-strong workforce,  and has even created 105 further jobs, in order to meet the new compliance requirements. 

Crown and Thistle courtyard, Abingdon

However, Mr King is still urging caution and looking for further support from Chancellor Rishi Sunak.

He explained: “It has been a very encouraging start, but the road to recovery is going to be a very long one and it is going to take much more than a few months of offers to get the hospitality sector back to where it was before lockdown.”

Il Gusto Italian Restaurant in Witney also has exciting news for its customers to thank the Witney community for supporting their small family business by deciding decided to do their own Eat out to Help Out scheme for the whole of September.

The offer runs Mondays to Thursday with 25% off your total bill including soft drinks and alcohol, and 10% off take away (collection only). Book a table online at https://ilgustowitney.co.uk or ring 01993 774055.

The White Hart in Minster Lovell has also joined the September bandwagon by offering 10% off your entire bill throughout September every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday.

The Porterhouse Grill in Osney is offering £10 per person off the cote de boeuf and the flat iron steak from Monday-Wednesday during September.

Is your local pub extending the Eat Out to Help Out scheme? Are you a pub, restaurant or café owner planning to extend the scheme or introduce your own discounts for customers? We would love to hear from you. Please get in touch info@oxinabox.co.uk

In the meantime, a petition has been started to urge the government to do more to help the hospitality sector through the winter months and to extend the scheme further.

READ ABOUT IT HERE: https://www.oxinabox.co.uk/urgent-oxfordshires-hospitality-industry-demands-extension-to-eat-out-to-help-out-scheme-to-survive-and-vat-relief/