The summer break is now in full swing, and with it the juggling act of keeping children fed and entertained for six full weeks.
Even the cheapest of days out can become very expensive when factoring in a meal for the whole family, but we don’t always have the time to plan and prepare a picnic or packed lunch before rushing out of the door.
There are many cafes, pubs and restaurants offering children’s meals free of charge or at a fraction of the usual price over the summer.
There are also a small handful of businesses that don’t require an adult meal to be purchased, giving a real helping hand to those parents and carers who might otherwise struggle to keep their little ones fed over the holidays.
Supermarket cafes tend to have some great offers for kids’ meals, including Morrison’s (kids eat free with every adult meal over £5), Asda (kids eat for £1 – no adult spend required) and Tesco (kids eat free with a 65p adult spend).
Plenty of restaurants are offering deals of their own, including Bella Italia, Chiquito, Frankie & Benny’s, Ask Italian, TGI Fridays, Zizzi, Côte, Las Iguanas, Bill’s and Prezzo, which are all offering free or £1 kids’ meals when ordered along with an adult dish.
If pub meals are more your thing, there are similar offers running this summer at Beefeater, Harvester, Toby Carvery, Brewers Fayre, Whitbread Inns, Table Table, Hungry Horse and Sizzling Pubs.
On the go? Check out Burger King and Subway.
Most of these deals are only available between set dates over the summer, so check their individual websites before going along.
But there are establishments that keep their offers running year-round – including Morrison’s, Asda and TGIs, as well as the cafes at Dobbies Garden Centres (kids eat for £1 with every adult meal) Dunelm (kids eat free with every £4 spend) and Ikea (kids meals starting at 95p with no adult spend required).
Remember to always check the terms and conditions of any offer in advance, as many of those listed above are only available at set times of day, certain days of the week, or with other requirements such as in-app ordering.