Hungry Rotherham folk gobble up 128,000 Eat Out to Help Out meals

More than 120 establishments across the borough signed up — with customers saving a total of £633,000.

The scheme ran from Mondays to Wednesdays during August, designed to stimulate the post-pandemic food sector.

The average discount per meal across the Rother Valley, Rotherham and Wentworth and Dearne constituencies was £5.30.

MP Alexander Stafford, whose Rother Valley constituents claimed more than 26,000 meals, hailed the success of the scheme.

He said: “I am absolutely thrilled at the level of support people have provided to our brilliant restaurants and hospitality businesses.

“Eat Out to Help Out was always about far more than just giving people money off their meals. It was about protecting jobs which are reliant on businesses which have really struggled through coronavirus.

“I have no doubt that there are businesses in Rother Valley today which, without this brilliant scheme, may not have made it through the summer. I hope local people will continue to support them in the months ahead.”

Nationally, more than 100 meals were served by 84,700 establishments under the scheme.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak added: “From the get-go, our mission has been to protect jobs, and to do this we needed be creative, brave and try things that no government has ever done before.

“These figures continue to show Eat Out to Help Out has been a success. I want to thank everyone, from restaurant owners to waiters, chefs and diners, for embracing it and helping drive our economic recovery.

“The scheme is just one part of our Plan for Jobs and we will continue to protect, support and create jobs to ensure we come back stronger as a nation.”

Plan for Jobs is a £30 billion strategy to create, protect and support jobs as the country recovers from coronavirus. VAT in the hospitality sector has been discounted from 20 to five per cent until January.