Eat Out to Help Out government scheme opens for registration

Registration has opened for restaurants in Cheshire to sign up to the government’s recently announced Eat Out to Help Out scheme to support the sector to recover after the coronavirus pandemic.

Restaurants taking part in the scheme will be able to offer diners a 50% on food and non-alcoholic drinks Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays during August. The discount can then be claimed back from government, up to a maximum of £10 per customer.

There are no restrictions on how many times a customer can receive a discount during the scheme, which includes the Late Summer Bank Holiday on 31st August. Alcoholic drinks and takeaway orders are not covered by the scheme.

In order for a business to be eligible for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, it must:

• sell food for immediate consumption on the premises
• provide its own dining area or shares a dining area with another establishment for eat-in meals – this includes restaurants, food halls with shared seating, and restaurants within hotels and other establishments
• be registered as a food business with the relevant local authority on or before 7 July

Catering services for private functions, hotels offering food only as room service and mobile food trucks and solely takeaway establishments are among those ineligible for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

Registration can be completed online, via the government website. Businesses will need to provide the following details:

• the Government Gateway ID and password for the business (or to create one upon registration)
• the name and address of each establishment to be registered – chains with over 25 locations can provide a link to a website which contains details of each establishment participating in the scheme including the trading name and address
• the UK bank account number and sort code for the business
• the address on the bank account for the business
• VAT registration number (if applicable)
• employer PAYE scheme reference number (if applicable)
• Corporation Tax or Self Assessment unique taxpayer reference

Further information on the Eat Out to Help Out scheme and online forms to register with HMRC for the scheme can be found on the government website.