Portsmouth restaurants packed out as diners lap up half-price food through the Eat Out to Help Out scheme

RESTAURANTS across Portsmouth have hailed the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme – and said that it has brought customers back through their doors.
Becketts in Bellevue Terrace, Southsea. 
Pictured is: (back l-r) Jack Sencherey-Evans, head chef, Ben Taylor-Smith, junior sous chef and Charlie Akehurst, chef de partie, with (front l-r) Kealan Blenkinsop, assistant manager, Soraya Parker, owner, and Terence Carvalho, general manager, outside Becketts in Southsea.
Picture: Sarah Standing (110820-2573)Becketts in Bellevue Terrace, Southsea. 
Pictured is: (back l-r) Jack Sencherey-Evans, head chef, Ben Taylor-Smith, junior sous chef and Charlie Akehurst, chef de partie, with (front l-r) Kealan Blenkinsop, assistant manager, Soraya Parker, owner, and Terence Carvalho, general manager, outside Becketts in Southsea.
Picture: Sarah Standing (110820-2573)
Becketts in Bellevue Terrace, Southsea. Pictured is: (back l-r) Jack Sencherey-Evans, head chef, Ben Taylor-Smith, junior sous chef and Charlie Akehurst, chef de partie, with (front l-r) Kealan Blenkinsop, assistant manager, Soraya Parker, owner, and Terence Carvalho, general manager, outside Becketts in Southsea. Picture: Sarah Standing (110820-2573)

The scheme allows diners to get half-price food and non-alcoholic drinks up to £10 on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays when they dine in throughout August.

More than 85,000 outlets across the country are now signed up – and latest figures show that restaurants have already claimed for more than 35 million meals.

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Now in its penultimate week, city restaurants say they have seen profits double, and have seen such a demand for tables that they have had to turn customers without bookings away.

Southsea restaurant Becketts has been fully booked.

Manager Terence Carvalho said the scheme had been great for business, despite the restaurant needing to physically remove tables to accommodate social distancing.

‘Although we rely on hotel income, we’ve been fully booked on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays,’ he said.

Traditional Lebanese restaurant and shisha garden, Leilamezze in St Paul’s Road, Southsea, has also seen a surge in business.

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General manager Omar Aldulaimi said their diner numbers have surged since the scheme began.

‘Profits have hugely increased on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays,’ he said.

‘The government support has been excellent for restaurants. They’ve helped hugely, however it could be a problem when this changes.

‘To overcome this, after the Eat Out to Help Out scheme has ended, we’re thinking of bringing back certain deals, which may take place Mondays to Wednesdays.’

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New Southsea restaurant, Flamez Street Food, in Palmerston Road, saw a restaurant closure of 18 days at the beginning of lockdown, before starting its takeaway service.

However restaurant owner Raj Hasan said the scheme has been a great boost to business.

‘There hasn’t been any significant improvement on the weekend, however Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are really, really busy.

‘Where we’re a new restaurant, the scheme has come at the right time and has really helped us grow quickly.’

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Other Southsea restaurants such as The Chambers, Gin & Olive and Nicholsons Tapas Bar have also reported an increased demand for tables.

Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak said: ‘Britain is breathing life back into hospitality by eating out to help out – with at least 35 million meals served up in the first two weeks alone, that is equivalent to more than half of the UK taking part.

‘I encourage everyone to continue to safely enjoy this scheme – it is vital people continue to support the 1.8 million people who work in the sector.’

To find participating restaurants go to tax.service.co.uk/eat-out-to-help-out/find-a-restaurant

It ends on August 31.

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