Eat Out to Help Out: More than 2.7m meals discounted in NI

More than 2.7 million meals were claimed in NI as part of the government's Eat Out to Help Out scheme.

The initiative gave diners up to £10 off their restaurant bills from Monday to Wednesday during August.

It was designed to encourage people to go out and support the hospitality sector, which was among the hardest hit by the coronavirus lockdown.

HMRC says 2,789,000 meals were claimed for in Northern Ireland.

It meant diners across Northern Ireland got a total discount of £16.1m.

'The sector is crucial'

Over 2,000 food outlets in Northern Ireland took part in the scheme. 　

Secretary of State for Northern Ireland Brandon Lewis said it was "vital in protecting hospitality jobs in Northern Ireland and boosting its economy recovery".

"The sector is crucial to many livelihoods in Northern Ireland with 60,000 jobs sustained by the sector, contributing over £1.1bn to the local economy annually," he added.

While the government scheme has now closed, some restaurants have decided to run their own promotions during the month of September to keep encouraging customers to visit.