Eat out to help out: How many meals were claimed in Worthing under Rishi Sunak’s scheme?

Diners in Worthing claimed thousands of meals during the Eat Out to Help Out scheme last summer, according to the latest figures from the Government.

The scheme, which was designed to give struggling hospitality businesses a financial boost during the pandemic, saw foodies across the country dine out for a fraction of the usual cost.

The Government picked up 50 per cent of the bill (up to £10 per person) three days a week throughout August.

Figures released today from Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs show that more than 106 million meals were claimed for across the UK, totalling over £611 million.

Diners in Worthing claimed 187,000 meals across 125 restaurants under the scheme.

This provided an average discount of £6.16 per meal.

The total amount claimed by Chichester businesses was £1,151,000. This resulted in restaurants claiming an average of £9,200.

The data only includes registered businesses with fewer than 25 outlets.

UKHospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls said although the scheme was a ‘welcome boost’ to businesses, more now needs to be done by the Government to help businesses through the new national lockdown.

Ms Nicholls said: “The Eat Out To Help Out scheme is now unfortunately a deep and distant memory in light of the subsequent restrictions and enforced closures suffered by so many businesses.