Britain’s restaurants, bars and cafes need our help. In the summer, eating outside was easier. Dodge the rain, you’re fine. But, the winter months are less forgiving.
I’m organising an outdoor dining club to help my favourite restaurants stay afloat during local lockdown.
Below are some further details but if you like the idea, don’t just come to mine, set up your own.
Tier 2* restrictions mean people cannot dine indoors with anyone other than those from the same household. However, with a coat, a patio heater, blankets and generous helpings of wine, we can still dine with our friends and family who we don’t live with – outdoors.
Even with many restaurants continuing Rishi Sunak’s “Eat Out To Help Out” scheme, it is going to be a brutal winter for the industry.
So let’s (H)eat out to help out.
We need to support the cafes, restaurants and pubs that we don’t want to disappear. It’s time to wrap up warm, grab a blanket, ignore the inclement weather and eat great food and drink some fantastic wine.
How to get involved:
- Visit opentable.co.uk and select outdoor dining.
- Select a local restaurant/cafe that has outdoor seating.
- Invite up to five people — friends, family or long lost work colleagues.
- Eat great food. Have fun!
- Share where you’ve been on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook to encourage others to do the same (use the tag #HeatOutToHelpOut).
- Ask each of your friends who attends to do the same the week after to do steps 1–4 next week, while you do the same with a new group.
If we come together now, despite the restrictions (but complying with them), we can support the fantastic places we all enjoyed before the pandemic and help them through the winter months.
The best bit about it, all you’re doing is catching up with pals and having a great night out.
#HeatOutToHelpOut
*Tier 1 restrictions mean you can, and Tier 3 means no household mixing at pubs and bars.
