PEOPLE looking to make the most of a 50% when eating out as part of the new Eat Out to Help Out scheme can now search for participating restaurants in Somerset.

Visitors to a new Government website can enter their postcode to discover restaurants taking part in the scheme within a five-mile radius of their home.

Anyone dining at restaurants signed up to the scheme will benefit from a 50% discount - up to a maximum of £10 per person - on food and non-alcoholic drinks from Monday to Wednesday throughout the month of August.

Outlets will also be displaying stickers and posters in their windows to alert diners that they are signed up to the scheme - and diners can take advantage of the offer as many times as they like during the month.

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak said: “Our restaurants, cafes and bars play a vital role in our economy, employing more than a million people. They have been hit hard by coronavirus, so it’s vital we do everything we can to help them recover.

“Our Eat Out to Help Out scheme is designed to get more customers through the door – protecting jobs by giving businesses the confidence to retain and hire staff."

To search using your postcode, simply visit https://www.tax.service.gov.uk/eat-out-to-help-out/find-a-restaurant.

So far, more than 53,000 businesses across the country have already signed up to the scheme, and from today you’ll be able to find one near you with the online finder.”

Further information for businesses, including how to register and make a claim, is available online at gov.uk.