Eat Out to Help Out statistics - geographic breakdown commentary
Updated 1 February 2021
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Main Findings
The key points from this release are as follows:
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84.3% of participating outlets were located in England. The remaining outlets were split between Scotland (8.0%), Wales (4.5%), Northern Ireland (3.0%) and 0.1% were marked as Unknown. These proportions are not significantly different from the share of the population in each country.
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Generally, the number of participating outlets in an area increases with the population of the area. Some areas contain a surplus of hospitality outlets in order to accommodate customers who normally reside in other areas. Examples include the parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London & Westminster, Holborn & St. Pancras, Manchester Central, Liverpool Riverside and Bethnal Green & Bow.
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84.5% of total meals claimed for were sold in England. The remaining meals were split between Scotland (6.8%), Northern Ireland (4.3%), Wales (4.2%), and 0.2% were marked as Unknown.
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Generally, the number of meals claimed increases in line with the number of participating outlets. Liverpool Riverside, Birmingham Ladywood, Manchester Central, Glasgow Central and Belfast South recorded a relatively high level of meals per outlet.
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Cities of London & Westminster, Holborn & St. Pancras, Islington South & Finsbury, Edinburgh North & Leith and Kensington recorded relatively lower levels of meals per outlet.
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84.5% of total discount was claimed in England. The remaining discount was split between Scotland (7.0%), Northern Ireland (4.2%), Wales (4.1%), and 0.1% were marked as Unknown.
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Areas with relatively high levels of discount per meal include constituencies of Cities of London & Westminster, Bethnal Green & Bow, Glasgow Central, Manchester Central and Manchester Gorton, all city-centre areas.
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Areas with relatively lower levels of discount per meal include Blackpool South, Bristol West, Boston & Skegness, Birmingham Ladywood and Isle of Wight, mostly coastal areas.
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The average discount per meal was highest in London, compared to the other English regions and UK countries.
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The average claim per outlet was significantly higher in Northern Ireland than either England, Scotland or Wales. However, this average value was exceeded in a number of English city centres such as Manchester, Birmingham and Bradford.
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About this release
The Eat Out to Help Out (EOHO) scheme supported the hospitality sector throughout August 2020 by providing consumers with a discount of up to 50% on food and drink items consumed at participating outlets. The discount was not available for takeaway purchases. The discount was valid all-day Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday throughout August 2020, with a maximum discount of £10 per person per meal.
National EOHO statistics were published on 25 November 2020. This included details on EOHO claims per week, by business activity, by business size and details of claims made alongside claims for Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and Self-employment Income Support Scheme.
This current statistical release provides a geographic breakdown of the number of participating outlets, the number of meals claimed for and the total value of discount claimed. The data used in this release covers the full claim period up to 30 September 2020.
In total, less than 1% of EOHO claims were from businesses with more than 25 outlets. These businesses made up 34% of the meals claimed and 28% of the total discount claimed. These are classified as large businesses and were not required to provide addresses of individual outlets.
This publication covers the remaining 99% of claims from businesses with 25 or fewer outlets. These made up 66% of the meals claimed and 72% of the total discount claimed.
EOHO regional data
Four different geographies are used in this release. These provide four increasingly-fine levels of detail.
- Four constituent countries within the UK
- Twelve regional areas (nine English regions & the three remaining nations)
- 379 lower-tier local authorities
- 650 parliamentary constituencies
As in the initial statistical publication, the raw uptake of the scheme is illustrated using three measures: number of participating outlets, number of meals claimed for and total amount of discount. The relative impact of the scheme across the UK is illustrated using two additional measures: average discount per meal and average discount claimed per outlet.
Table 1: National and regional summary of key figures
| English region / Country | Total number of outlets claimed | Total number of meals claimed for | Total amount of discount claimed (£) | Average amount claimed per outlet (£) | Average discount per meal (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North East | 2,006 | 3,779,000 | 22,124,000 | 11,000 | 5.85 |
| North West | 6,342 | 12,638,000 | 72,174,000 | 11,400 | 5.71 |
| Yorkshire & the Humber | 5,032 | 9,360,000 | 52,798,000 | 10,500 | 5.64 |
| East Midlands | 3,925 | 6,515,000 | 36,434,000 | 9,300 | 5.59 |
| West Midlands | 4,401 | 8,597,000 | 48,848,000 | 11,100 | 5.68 |
| East of England | 4,973 | 8,735,000 | 48,509,000 | 9,800 | 5.55 |
| London | 10,049 | 16,455,000 | 105,754,000 | 10,500 | 6.43 |
| South East | 7,823 | 12,922,000 | 72,447,000 | 9,300 | 5.61 |
| South West | 6,041 | 11,007,000 | 58,013,000 | 9,600 | 5.27 |
| England | 50,592 | 90,008,000 | 517,102,000 | 10,200 | 5.75 |
| Wales | 2,720 | 4,526,000 | 24,982,000 | 9,200 | 5.52 |
| Scotland | 4,775 | 7,235,000 | 42,915,000 | 9,000 | 5.93 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,810 | 4,573,000 | 25,880,000 | 14,300 | 5.66 |
| Unknown | 84 | 192,000 | 795,000 | 9,500 | 4.15 |
How to read the graphs in this publication
Geographic maps
The data in each map is split into deciles i.e. ten groups of equal size. For example, with 650 parliamentary constituencies that dataset is split into ten groups of 65 each.
The legend shows the absolute values corresponding to each group. In colouring the map, the darkest shade is used to represent the top 10% of the data and the lightest shade represents the bottom 10%.
Data distributions
The distribution of the data is summarised in a box plot. The “box” extends from the 25th percentile to the 75th percentile, with a horizontal mark at the 50th percentile, known as the median. This length of the box is the inter-quartile range. Vertical lines (whiskers) extend to the most extreme data point which is no more than 1.5 times the length of the box away from the box. Any individual points beyond this are marked with a square as outliers.
EOHO claims — Participating outlets
This data shows the number of participating outlets which had signed up to the scheme and made a claim as of 30 September 2020.
Of these outlets, 54% were primarily operating as restaurants and 23% as pubs. Further information regarding business activity is available in the previous statistical publication.
Claims from businesses with over 25 outlets were not required to provide the individual locations of these outlets. This accounts for roughly 23% of the total number of outlets participating in the scheme.
Generally, the number of participating outlets increases with the population of the area. Some areas contain a surplus of hospitality outlets in order to accommodate customers who normally reside in other areas.
From the data, examples include the local authorities of Westminster, Cornwall, Manchester, City of Edinburgh and Camden and the parliamentary constituencies of Cities of London & Westminster, Holborn & St. Pancras, Manchester Central, Liverpool Riverside and Bethnal Green & Bow.
Figure 1: Map showing number of participating outlets in each local authority
Figure 2: Map showing number of participating outlets in each parliamentary constituency
Table 2: Number of participating outlets in each country and English region
| English region / Country | Total number of outlets claimed |
|---|---|
| North East | 2,006 |
| North West | 6,342 |
| Yorkshire & the Humber | 5,032 |
| East Midlands | 3,925 |
| West Midlands | 4,401 |
| East of England | 4,973 |
| London | 10,049 |
| South East | 7,823 |
| South West | 6,041 |
| England | 50,592 |
| Wales | 2,720 |
| Scotland | 4,775 |
| Northern Ireland | 1,810 |
| Unknown | 84 |
EOHO claims — Meals claimed
Each participating outlet applied a discount to meals on the premises. This data shows the number of meals for which a claim was made, from all qualifying outlets.
Claims from businesses with over 25 outlets were not required to provide the individual locations of these outlets. This accounts for 34% of the total number of meals claimed under the scheme. The remaining 66% is included in this section.
Generally, the number of meals claimed increases in line with the number of participating outlets.
Local authorities of Birmingham, Cornwall, Manchester, Liverpool and Bradford recorded a relatively high number of meals, based on the number of outlets. Westminster, Camden, City of Edinburgh, Islington and Highland recorded relatively fewer meals per outlet.
Parliamentary constituencies of Liverpool Riverside, Birmingham Ladywood, Manchester Central, Glasgow Central and Belfast South recorded a relatively high number of meals, based on the number of outlets. Cities of London & Westminster, Holborn & St. Pancras, Islington South & Finsbury, Edinburgh North & Leith and Kensington recorded relatively fewer meals per outlet
Figure 3: Map showing number of meals claimed in each local authority
Figure 4: Map showing number of meals claimed in each parliamentary constituency
Table 3: Number of meals claimed in each country and English region
| English region / Country | Total number of meals claimed for |
|---|---|
| North East | 3,779,000 |
| North West | 12,638,000 |
| Yorkshire & the Humber | 9,360,000 |
| East Midlands | 6,515,000 |
| West Midlands | 8,597,000 |
| East of England | 8,735,000 |
| London | 16,455,000 |
| South East | 12,922,000 |
| South West | 11,007,000 |
| England | 90,008,000 |
| Wales | 4,526,000 |
| Scotland | 7,235,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 4,573,000 |
| Unknown | 192,000 |
EOHO claims — Total amount of discount
For each qualifying meal, a 50% discount was applied, up to a maximum discount of £10. This data shows the total amount of the discount claimed in each area, by all qualifying outlets.
Claims from businesses with over 25 outlets were not required to provide the individual locations of their outlets. This accounts for 27% of the total discount claimed under the scheme. The remaining 73% is included in this section.
Generally, the total amount of discount increases as the number of meals claimed increases.
For local authority data, areas with relatively high discount per meal include Westminster, Manchester, Tower Hamlets, City of Edinburgh and Kensington & Chelsea, all city-centre areas. Areas with relatively low discount per meal include Cornwall, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leeds and City of Bristol.
For parliamentary constituency data, areas with relatively high discount per meal include Cities of London & Westminster, Bethnal Green & Bow, Glasgow Central, Manchester Central and Manchester Gorton. Areas with relatively low discount per meal include Blackpool South, Bristol West, Boston & Skegness, Birmingham Ladywood and Isle of Wight.
Figure 5: Map showing total discount claimed in each local authority
Figure 6: Map showing total discount claimed in each parliamentary constituency
Table 4: Total amount of discount claimed in each country and English region
| English region / Country | Total amount of discount claimed (£) |
|---|---|
| North East | 22,124,000 |
| North West | 72,174,000 |
| Yorkshire & the Humber | 52,798,000 |
| East Midlands | 36,434,000 |
| West Midlands | 48,848,000 |
| East of England | 48,509,000 |
| London | 105,754,000 |
| South East | 72,447,000 |
| South West | 58,013,000 |
| England | 517,102,000 |
| Wales | 24,982,000 |
| Scotland | 42,915,000 |
| Northern Ireland | 25,880,000 |
| Unknown | 795,000 |
EOHO claims — Average discount per meal
The average discount per meal is obtained by dividing the total amount of discount in an area by the total number of meals claimed for in that area.
Figure 7 and Figure 8 show data for each country. They are displayed with the median value increasing from left to right. The top three areas and bottom three areas in each country are labelled. Due to the relatively small number of areas, only the top two and bottom two are labelled within Northern Ireland.
The median value is highest in Scotland and lowest in Wales. However, the change in the median from one country to another is relatively small, with all values between £5.52 and £5.83.
Figure 7: Distribution of average discount per meal in each local authority, across countries
Figure 8: Distribution of average discount per meal in each parliamentary constituency, across countries
In Scotland, the highest and lowest values are found in Aberdeen South and Aberdeen North respectively. Both areas contain an equal number of participating outlets and claimed a similar total discount.
However, the outlets in Aberdeen North claimed for over twice as many meals as the outlets in Aberdeen South. This causes the average discount per meal to differ between the two areas. This may be explained by Aberdeen North containing more of the city centre than Aberdeen South.
Figure 9 and Figure 10 show data for each English region. They are displayed with the median value increasing from left to right. The top two areas and bottom two areas in each English region are labelled.
The median value is highest in London and lowest in the South West. There is little difference in the median values of the other seven regions. The higher levels in London may be due to the generally higher cost of living within that region.
Figure 9: Distribution of average discount per meal in each local authority, across all English regions
Figure 10: Distribution of average discount per meal in each parliamentary constituency, across all English regions
EOHO claims — Average amount claimed per outlet
The average amount claimed per outlet is obtained by dividing the total amount of discount in an area by the total number of participating outlets in that area. As the EOHO scheme contained five claim periods (one for each week) each outlet made between one and five claims. This value is therefore not the average claim but the average total amount claimed.
Figure 11 and Figure 12 show data for each country. They are displayed with the median value increasing from left to right. The top three areas and bottom three areas in each country are labelled. Due to the relatively small number of areas, only the top two and bottom two are labelled within Northern Ireland.
The median value is highest in Northern Ireland. The lowest is in Scotland or Wales, depending on whether local authority or parliamentary constituency data is used. The median value in Northern Ireland is significantly higher than Great Britain.
Figure 11: Distribution of average discount per outlet in each local authority, across countries
Figure 12: Distribution of average discount per outlet in each parliamentary constituency, across countries
This data, particularly in England, is positively skewed i.e. there are a small number of values which are much higher than average. These include constituencies of Manchester Gorton, Birmingham Hall Green and Bradford East, and local authorities of Newham, Redbridge and Enfield.
Figure 13 and Figure 14 show data for each English region. They are displayed with the median value increasing from left to right. The top two areas and bottom two areas in each English region are labelled.
The median value is highest in the North East and lowest in the East Midlands.
Figure 13: Distribution of average discount per outlet in each local authority, across all English regions
Figure 14: Distribution of average discount per outlet in each parliamentary constituency, across all English regions
Background to the scheme
The Eat Out to Help Out Scheme was announced on 8 July and businesses could register for the scheme from 13 July. The scheme enabled restaurants, cafés, pubs and other eligible establishments such as workplace and school canteens to offer a discount to customers dining in their outlet and obtain a reimbursement from HMRC for the same amount.
The scheme offered a 50% discount on the purchase of food and non-alcoholic drinks bought to eat in, up to a maximum of £10 per person. The discount did not apply to takeaway food. The discount was available all day every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday between 3 and 31 August.
The claims service opened on 7 August and closed on 30 September. Each business was required to submit a separate claim for each week that they operated the scheme. There were five claim periods in total: 3 to 5 August, 10 to 12 August, 17 to 19 August, 24 to 26 August and Monday 31 August.
Methodology and data sources
The data for this release has been extracted from the HMRC system for administering Eat Out to Help Out claims. As such, the statistical tables report values claimed and not amounts paid. As of 30 October 2020, £841 million of the £849 million claimed had been paid.
The geographic breakdowns in the tables and maps use a postcode lookup file from Office for National Statistics (ONS) to link UK postcodes to geographic areas.
Influential data points are highlighted in the text, i.e. Liverpool Riverside, Birmingham Ladywood, Manchester Central, Glasgow Central and Belfast South recorded a relatively high level of meals per outlet. In order to minimise subjectivity in this choice, the areas were chosen using Influence Analysis.
An area is considered to have higher influence if its omission would cause a larger change to the linear regression. This is measured using Cook’s Distance. Starting from the largest value of Cook’s Distance, the top five areas which are positive outliers (having positive standardised residual) are noted, along with the top five areas which are negative outliers (having negative standardised residual).
Glossary
A registered business is a business that signed-up to participate in the scheme at some point between 13 July and 31 August.
A participating outlet refers to a single restaurant, café, pub or other eligible establishment. Registered businesses can have a number of participating outlets where the discount was offered. As such, the number of participating outlets is higher than the number of registered businesses.
A claim is an individual claim from a business for one week of the scheme. Most businesses have submitted five claims and are counted five times in the total number of claims for the scheme.
For the purpose of the Eat Out to Help Out Scheme, a large business is defined as one with more than 25 outlets. Not all of these outlets were necessarily offering the scheme. Large businesses were not required to provide individual details of all their participating outlets when they made a claim.
A meal is defined as a single eating or drinking occasion by a single person. As such a family of 4 eating at a restaurant would count as 4 meals. Similarly, one person eating out 3 times in one day would count as 3 meals.
De-registered business. Some businesses have been de-registered from the EOHO scheme during August either at their own request or following compliance activity by HMRC. As such not all participating businesses have submitted five claims.
Strengths and limitations
Limited coverage
Note that claims from businesses with more than 25 participating outlets were not required to provide the address of each outlet. These claims account for 1% of the total claims. As a result, only 99% of the total data could be represented at a sub-national level and could be included in this publication.
Data reflects claims, not payments
The figures provided cover all claims received for the scheme by HMRC. However, some of these claims will have subsequently been rejected following compliance activity or may have been unable to be paid out due to errors in the payment details provided. Total payments for the scheme are therefore slightly lower than the total claim figures presented in these statistics.