Food 'n' Drink – Food and Drink news |

Eating out can be a real treat, however sometimes it’s hard to find the money to eat out as often as we’d like. People now have less disposable income to use on such luxuries, so eating out at a nice restaurant may be down on your list of priorities. This article aims to give you a few ideas on how to cut the cost of your food bill when you do treat yourself to a nice meal. Bon appétit!

Use vouchers

Since the start of the recession, discount vouchers have become more and more popular in the eating out industry. Because people have less disposable income, yet still want to treat themselves to a meal out, discount vouchers have become a staple in people’s wallets. You can now get some fantastic vouchers which entitle you to a percentage off the cost of your meal, free drinks, starters or deserts, 2 for 1’s and buy one get one frees. Most of the national chain restaurants regularly offer vouchers to keep custom coming in, but a lot of local restaurants have joined the vouchers bandwagon too. Make sure you do a search for a voucher for the restaurant you’ll be going to, or search before you decide where to go to get ideas on where you can save some money.

Early bird deals

Many restaurants offer special set menus for customers who choose to dine just before their busiest periods. Many restaurants are busiest between 7-11pm and can be quiet between 5-7pm. You can save a lot of money by choosing to eat before the ‘rush hours’, and may get good deals on two or three courses for a set price. Although there will probably be limitations on what you can order, you can save yourself a packet by simply eating out a little earlier. Ask your favourite restaurants whether they accommodate for the ‘early bird ‘customer base if they don’t already advertise it.

Weeknights

Restaurants tend to be busiest towards the end of the week and the weekend, so try to eat out on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesdays. These are generally the restaurant industry’s quietest days and you may find some really great promotions on at the start of the week. You could get a good deal on one or two courses, get a free drink or get buy one get on free on certain dishes. It’s important that restaurants pull in custom early on in the week which is why you’re likely to find a delicious deal.

Loyalty scheme

If you have a few favourite restaurants which you visit frequently, log on to their website and see if they have a loyalty scheme or an online community. By joining an online community, such as their Facebook or Twitter campaign, you are more likely to be notified of upcoming offers and discounts, as well as be offered exclusive discounts which are only given out to its members. You will also be kept informed about any special events the restaurant will be having in the future, and can plan your outings to accommodate them.

BYOB

Sometimes it can be very expensive to enjoy a bottle of wine with your meal in a restaurant, never mind a desert wine, a night cap and then a coffee to round it all off! Some establishments allow you to bring your own bottle (or other choice of beverage) on certain nights, or some restaurants don’t have an alcohol licence at all. This can work out great, because you can stop off at a shop on the way and buy a bottle of wine for your meal for a fraction of the price. Drinks can make your overall bill creep up when ordering a few, so look out for places who allow you to bring your own. You’ll definitely notice the difference when the bill comes!

Written by the Vouchers team at moneysupermarket.com

Restaurant vouchers are now becoming as popular a search term as cashback sites and coupon cutting. All of them helping you spend less when buying every day food / items / goods etc…

We are living in a fast paced environment where the world is online 24/7/365. Everyone has a voice and businesses have a very low cost way of promoting themselves without the overheads of print, marketing and advertising. They simply can update their website with a voucher code / printable voucher and voila.

Great news for businesses but even better news for us. It means that, online, we have an array of ways to save money. Restaurant vouchers are not new but suddenly people have realised that they can buy meals and get another for a friend, partner, husband, wife etc… for FREE – or buy their own meal and the kids eat free.

So far this year alone, restaurant voucher sites – such as Restaurant Vouchers Now – have helped their visitors find:

- 40% Discount Voucher at Yo Sushi!
- Buy One Meal Get One Free Voucher from Las Iguanas
- 2 Pizzas at Pizza Express for £12 voucher
- 2 meals for just £5 voucher
- Free bag of Cadburys Chocolate – (bonus)
- Lots lots more

To find a whole host of restaurant disocunts head over to Restaurant Vouchers . Vouchers and discounts are updated reguarly and includes a listings of over 200 UK restaurants – perfect when you need some inspiration.

Resturant owners are discovering the power of the internet to help fill the empty seats in today’s times. Printable restaurant vouchers are here to stay, so may sure you don’t pay full price – get out there and see how the internet can save you!

Article from – Restaurant Vouchers Now

Everyone loves the chance to take it easy for the night and eat out to eliminate hours of prepping, cooking and of course piles of dishes and clean up after the meal.  Other people enjoy eating out as a social activity that allows them to relax after a long day.  Still others simply love to head out for a meal when there is good news to celebrate.  However, regardless of the reason behind ones’ choices to head to a restaurant with everyone’s’ budgets a bit tighter eating out may no longer seem as practical.

The good news is that there are many voucher sites that allow you to actually save on your meals at top rated restaurants the same way that you would save on clothing purchases with a voucher.  These websites include both traditional favourites, pizza joints, and even a few upscale restaurants that previously you would not have thought you could afford base on your budget.  However, when you start to factor in what you can save using the vouchers you may be able to move up to a nicer restaurant, or eat out a bit more frequently than you have been settling for.

For example, you can head online to voucher sites and find all types of ways to save money on eating out with the voucher coupons from popular restaurants such as Henry’s Café bar, Pizza Hut, The Living Room, Apres Bars, Caffe Uno, Bella Italia, and plenty of additional options.  In fact, as well as the likes of Pizza Hut vouchers you may even find some vouchers for restaurants you have never tried before allowing you the chance to get a little adventurous and try out new restaurants each week as a way to find new favourites while still saving quite a deal on the expense of eating out.

Voucher deals change on a regular basis so it is hard to narrow down which restaurants offer the best meals and deals because every week someone else will be at the top of the list.  However, some of the most popular deals include savings such as 30% of an entire food bill and as much as 50% off with a prearranged purchase total.

With savings such as these eating out on some nights might be even cheaper than eating in or attempting to entertain guests on your own.  Add in the stress of entertaining and the clean up and time that is required and you actually stand to save a lot more than just on the cost of food.

Other popular voucher deals for restaurants that you can find if you take the time to browse a little bit are deals that offer two meals for the price of one or group discounts which can be great for large groups and just two people in need of a romantic night on the town.  Regardless of what you have in mind for dinner, there is a good chance that a voucher coupon is out there waiting for you to take advantage of it and save a few dollars for next time.

Research has found that people who enjoy eating out will continue to do so, regardless of the recession. In the survey, more than 1,000 UK diners were questioned about their eating out habits and the results showed that nearly two thirds of them (62%) still planned on eating out the same amount as they do already or perhaps even more than was usual, especially during special occasions or seasons, for example, at Christmas.

Again, nearly two-thirds (63%) confirmed that cost wasn’t the major issue when deciding whether or not to eat out, and a further 77% said that they would definitely consider paying more for their food if they knew that the meal had been made from high-quality ingredients.

The survey also showed that two-thirds (67%) of diners questioned said that their favourite way of celebrating a special occasion such as a birthday or anniversary was to go out for a meal at a restaurant. However; a further 42% of those asked said they felt frustrated with the lack of variety on offer whenever they went out for a meal.

If you’re someone who enjoys eating out at restaurants then it may be in your interest to visit moneysupermarket.com’s Voucher channel and see what offers are available to you.

On the comparison site you’ll find many options available to you and a variety of great restaurant vouchers on offer to choose from, so you’ll soon be enjoying a great meal out for less in no time.

A vouchers article brought to you by Gill Critchley, the Vouchers web author at moneysupermarket.com.