Eating out with children can be difficult. And research released last week by the Soil Association found what many parents have long known – it can be a rip off as well. The average meal price was close to £6 yet many well-known chains offered poor value, with deep-fried cheap foods such as chips and nuggets. Some chains did better: Harvester had average meal prices of £4.99 and scored highly on nutrition because of the free salad bar and fresh fruit options for pudding. But even with saving 50p here or there eating out is still expensive. So, with the autumn half-term about to start, here’s our guide to money-saving tips for family dining.
Get your timing right
With young kids, the aim is to get seated, be served quickly and be back for bedtime. This is where early-bird menus come in handy. Many restaurants offer cut-price meals before the evening rush and midweek offers can be the best of all. “You can take advantage of special offers and deals on multiple courses if you dine out on a Tuesday, for example,” says Joe Steele, chief executive of Bookatable.
To find out about special offers, follow your favourite restaurants on social media as well as sign up to email alerts and offers directly from major chains. It’s also worth checking out deals on websites such as Moneysavingexpert.com. This doesn’t require you to be super organised: you can look these up on your phone outside the restaurant.
In some restaurants kids eat for free so find out about these offers. For example, at Riverford Field Kitchen in Buckfastleigh, Devon children under 12 eat half-price, regardless of how much they put away, and under-threes are free. Others are doing special half-term offers: Jamie’s Italian, which came top in the Soil Association research, is letting children eat free of charge when an adult buys a meal until 1 November.
Curb their appetite
Eating out when the kids are ravenous is a sure-fire way to add pounds to the bill. Many parents feed them first. Paul Morris, managing director of the award-winning Chocolate Café in Ramsbottom, Lancashire says: “We give the kids a healthy meal at home, then order a pudding or drink for them as a treat at the restaurant.” Others take snacks as starters. Kate Blincoe, author and mum-of-two says: “I have a few things like breadsticks in my bag that the kids can eat on the way, which means I don’t resort to buying expensive nibbles.”
Ordering
Some fixed price kids’ menus offer good value, particularly for very young children, where fixed prices can be from £2.99 (though it can be cheaper still to share your own meal with them). However, being more inventive with orders can work out better.
Many restaurants will let you order sides dishes for children or split a main dish between them. River Cottage, for example, has launched its new children’s menu and Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall says: “For kids who are just a little harder to please we’re always happy to have their parents pick and mix across the menu finding things they know their kids will eat.”
And it can be easier and nicer to share. Chef Hari Ghotra says. “Share some of your rice with children rather than ordering whole portions, and order side dishes for children. They love puffy soft naan to dip so let them share your saucy dishes. Only order one per child and can get more if you need them.”Other money-saving tips include ordering veggie meals instead of meat and not ordering too much in one go.
Pudding and drinks
Drinks can be a rip-off and add on the pounds. “Avoidordering fizzy drinks or bottled water for children, you can save a lot by ordering tap water instead for everyone,” says Netmums editor in chief Anne-Marie O’Leary. Others order a juice and dilute it with water. Pudding is also easily split or skipped. “I ask for the bill pretty much as soon as the kids have finished their main,” says Julia Willmott, a personal trainer in Hampshire. “That way I’m less tempted to order coffee or wine, and the kids are out before the painful ‘Can I?’ pudding conversation in front of the waitress.”
And if you’re too full to finish, ask for a doggy bag. If you take home leftovers for the next day, you really do get two for the price of one.
