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Eat out to Help out in Devon

17th August 2020

Categories: Visitor News

The Government’s Eat out to Help out scheme to help restaurants and other eateries recover following lockdown launched on 3^rd August and will run until 31^st August.

A number of restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels, as well as attractions with onsite eateries are taking part across Devon. The scheme will allow visitors to participating establishments get 50% discount on food and non-alcoholic drinks to enjoy on the premises every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through August.

You don’t need a voucher and you can use it at the same time as other offers and discounts as many times as you like, the Eat Out to Help Out discount is applied automatically to your order. The establishment will then claim a reimbursement from the government.

There are a wide range of businesses across Devon that are getting involved in the scheme including accommodation and attractions with onsite restaurants. If you’re in Devon during August and want to take advantage of the discount, here are some of the places you can grab a bargain.

Image: Devon Hotel

Starting with the region’s eateries you can find everything from fine dining to high street chains and all those that sit in between taking part. If you’re in Exeter, the Carriages Brasserie at the Devon Hotel is a great place for dinner or lunch with a daily carvery available as well as a range of popular dishes from around the world. Another Mid-Devon hotel offering the scheme is the Best Western Tiverton Hotel which is just ten minutes from J27 on the M5. Whether you’re staying at the hotel, or just passing through, you’re welcome to dine, which is just as well considering that much of the food is locally sourced, including seafood straight from Devon’s coast.

Image: Park Hotel's Seasons Brasserie

In the north of the county, the Park Hotel’s Seasons Brasserie is an AA Rosette winning 4 star restaurant with amazing views over a beautiful park in Barnstaple. It’s a contemporary, stylish restaurant with dishes made from locally sourced, top quality ingredients. If you’d rather have a sea view, take a trip to nearby Croyde where you’ll find the Eat Out to Help Out scheme being operated at the Beachside Grill at the Saunton Sands Hotel. With simple menus available all day long, this is a great choice for anyone who enjoys sun, sea and sand along with their meal!

Alternatively, the Barnstaple Hotel has several dining options, including light meals, fine dining and more informal restaurants all of which are taking part in the scheme. Whichever one you go for, you can be sure of mouth watering cuisine and menus that change daily. Bideford’s Royal Hotel is steeped in history and gives you the chance to dine in luxury in their beautiful Regency restaurant. Whether you are in the mood for something traditional or want to try something new, the extensive and imaginative menu will have just the thing to tempt you.

Image: Royal Hotel.

While we’re in North Devon, don’t forget to check out the Pier House, Westward Ho!’s only seafront bar and bistro. Perched on a cliff edge overlooking Bideford Bay and Lundy Island, you’ll find a fantastic array of meals on offer throughout the day with amazing views across the bay and the perfect atmosphere for relaxing. Another establishment to check out in Westward Ho! is the Waterfront Inn which serves food all day alongside the award winning beach.

Image: Waterfront Inn

The Victoria Hotel in Sidmouth has always been renowned for its fine dining and you can take advantage of the cheaper prices from Monday to Wednesday all through August. The hotel has a number of dining rooms, each with their own set of menus and decorated to truly set the scene making it perfect for a quick bite or something more special.

If you happen to be in south Devon, why not stop off at the Village Inn Thurlestone in Kingsbridge where you’ll find real ales, great food and good cheer. While you can’t use the Eat Out to Help Out on alcoholic drinks, you can still enjoy money off your food at this traditional, west country pub. The ceiling beams are made from the wreckage of ships from the Spanish Armada so this is definitely somewhere with character!

Another option in nearby Salcombe is Gara Rock which is well known for the quality of its menus. The easy going nature of the restaurant and accommodation make it ideal for families, groups or solo visitors. This is somewhere that doesn’t do formalities or dress codes giving you a comfortable and welcoming environment to enjoy their acclaimed food and drink.

The Bull Inn in Totnes is also offering the Eat Out to Help Out scheme. At this in there are never generic foodservice vans or pre packaged food on offer, instead everything serviced comes from farmers and local artisan producers. Sustainability is a huge motivator here, so you can eat out knowing you’re helping a local business and keeping down your food miles all at the same time!

Like we said, it isn’t just accommodation providers and eateries offering the scheme, several of Devon’s attractions have onsite restaurants which are running the scheme too.

Image: National Trust Saltram

Clip ‘n Climb in Plymouth’s onsite eatery is offering the scheme giving you a chance to refresh yourself after a day of climbing on the 44 different challenges. If you’re in Plymouth, the National Trust’s Saltram site where you can find speciality lunches, ice creams and of course the famous Devon cream tea is another place to go. At the other end of the county, if you’re a fan of honey and other local produce Quince Honey Farm’s onsite eatery is the place to go.

For a family friendly day out where you can also enjoy the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, there are a host of attractions all over the region. Roadford Lake gives you plenty of chances to get out and about and enjoy the natural world and when you’re done with your adventures, you can dine onsite at a discount.

Similarly, Crealy Theme Park and Resort in Exeter has a host of indoor and outdoor attractions as well as refreshment options, character appearances and more to enjoy throughout August. For those of you who love theme parks and rides, the Milky Way in North Devon is also taking part. This park is a regular recipient of the TripAdvisor Traveller’s Choice Award, so you know you’re in for a great day out!

For those of you with smaller children, Pennywell Farm has a huge variety of friendly farm animals from the mighty to the miniature for you to play with as well as rides and of course, onsite refreshments.

It isn’t just the big theme parks and animal parks that are taking part, some of the region’s historical attractions are too including Hartland Abbey and Gardens in Bideford, Buckfast Abbey in Buckfastleigh and Powderham Castle near Exeter. You can even use the scheme at Kent’s Cavern in Torquay!

So, as you can see, there are plenty of chances for you to Eat Out to Help Out while in Devon this August. The scheme ends on 31^st August, so you don’t have long! Don’t forget you will need to prebook your tables and visits to these attractions and eateries so they can limit capacity and make it safe for everyone. See a whole host of participating businesses here. You can also see which businesses in Devon have the industry accreditations for being Covid safe here.