South Scotland MSP Brian Whittle has applauded the success of the UK Government’s Eat Out to Help Out Scheme as newly released figures showed that people across Scotland had enjoyed over six million meals through the discount scheme.
Over 8,500 restaurants across the country registered for the scheme including dozens of restaurants in East Ayrshire, which saw over 68,000 meals claimed by diners on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays last month.
The figures don’t yet include the final day of the scheme on Monday 31st August so the final total is likely to be even higher.
Commenting on the stats, Brian called it a “jump start” for Scotland’s hospitality sector by Chancellor Rishi Sunak which has helped to restart the restaurant trade and protect jobs across the region.
Brian Whittle MSP said:
“Eat Out To Help Out was a really innovative jump start for the hospitality sector by Rishi Sunak and the UK Treasury. I’m delighted the scheme has been so popular across East Ayrshire, helping to protect jobs and encourage us all to dine out again safely.
Lockdown and COVID-19 have had a massive impact on the hospitality sector right across the UK and Eat Out to Help Out has breathed some new life into many of our restaurants, pubs and cafes.
Thanks to the Chancellor’s scheme, and the contribution of everyone who made use of it to enjoy a meal out, many jobs and businesses stand a real chance of being able to weather the pandemic.
Like so many other parts of the economy, our hospitality sector isn’t out of the woods yet, but I’d like to thank everyone who took part in Eat Out to Help Out and encourage everyone to continue supporting local businesses in the months ahead.”
