The Eat Out to Help Out scheme in August was responsible for the largest annual increase in non-core spending since July 2019

Chancellor Sunak does not rule out a second Eat Out to Help Out

More than 160 million discounted meals were served in August after the government launched the Eat Out to Help scheme, the latest figures show

HMRC said that 49,000 restaurants, pubs and cafés claimed £849 million by the end of September through the subsidy scheme aimed at increasing consumer spending after the first national blockade.

He said that the majority of the claims - 55 per cent - were made by restaurants, with pubs accounting for 28 per cent of meals.