RESTAURANTS across Bradford and the surrounding areas are extending the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme into September after a very successful August.

The government-subsidised scheme offered half-price meals and soft drinks on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays throughout August to encourage people to return to eating out.

A number of national chains like Pizza Hut (Leisure Exchange, Bradford) and Toby Carvery (Keighley and Rooley Lane) are taking part in a similar promotion for another month along with local restaurants and pubs like the Moody Cow, Apperley Bridge; Cobbles and Old Registry, Haworth; The Hawthorn, Haworth; Potting Shed (Bingley and Guiseley) and La Casita (Ilkley, Horsforth, Leeds, Boston Spa and Skipton).

Vintage Inns pubs including Dick Hudson’s, Eldwick; Calverley Arms, Calverley; Hare & Hounds, Mirfield; and Wyke Lion, Wyke will offer the deal on main meals from September 1 to 9.

Pickles Pubs, including The Glen, Gilstead; The Malt, Harden; Acorn Inn, Eldwick; and the Old White Bear, Cross Hills; will offer the deal on Wednesday evenings.

Tom Hardaker, manager at The Glen, said: “It’s been so popular we’re extending the offer purely to give back to the community. It’s been a good scheme for us and the customers.”

Zac Bearden, co-owner of the Moody Cow, said: “It’s been highly successful and we’ve been fully booked throughout August. So we’re extending the offer for the first two weeks of September. If it carries on going well, we’ll extend it another two weeks. We’d just like to thank everyone who has come and helped us out.”

Horsforth-based Tapas restaurant La Casita in Horsforth is offering diners 25 per cent off food on Tuesdays and Thursdays throughout September.

Chef and co-founder Simon Miller has enjoyed welcoming new customers to the restaurant and hopes that having their own discount promotion running will help keep footfall high as well as steer the Yorkshire restaurant chain through a period of uncertainty.

He said: “We employ about 60 people in the local area through our five restaurants and the number one priority is to keep everyone in a job. The Eat Out scheme meant we were really busy throughout August, and once the government’s support stops we’ll still be offering diners 25 per cent off food in September.”

Peter Quinn, owner of Old Registry and Cobbles Guest House, who is extending the scheme (not including drinks) out of his own pocket, said: “The country was gripped by Eat Out to Help Out fever. It has been excellent for us at both locations.”