How to Support your Local Restaurants this January

January is a hard month for the hospitality industry, with most people avoiding restaurants and bars after over indulging over Christmas.

By Emma Davidson | Last updated 25 January 2022

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BUT, there are a few things you can do to support your locals even if you’re not heading out.

January is the worst month of the year for most of the general population. Christmas has been and gone, and the comedown has well and truly set in. We’re all back to work, eating dry sandwiches for lunch without a pig in a blanket in sight, with a vitamin D deficiency longing for some bright summer sunshine.

As well as this, none of us are particularly bothered about going out. The bank account has been rinsed due to festive over-spending, we’re back on our no carb diets and to pumping iron in the gym again. Or, in my case, spending 20 minutes on the bike and calling it a day. Move over, Marianne Voss.

All of this means our beloved local restaurants and bars are hit pretty hard in January, and, after all of the problems Omicron and the UK government’s mixed messaging brought last year, too, we need to support them more than ever. 

If you’re comfortable doing so, get yourself down to your local restaurants and bars, take advantage of their generous January deals, and don’t be a knob, they’re already having a bit of a rubbish time as it is.

If you’re not, Eat Well MCR have put together a list of how to support your favourite eating/drinking out spots.

Take Aways & Deliveries

Number one is simply to get food and drink to take away or be delivered. This is perfect if you don’t fancy leaving your sofa and also can’t be bothered to cook.

There are loads of local restaurants on apps such as Deliveroo, Foodstuff, Uber Eats and Just Eat for whatever you fancy treating yourself to!

Visit Restaurants at Quieter Times

Another option is to go during a shoulder period when it’s less busy (between lunch and dinner). If you’re one of us lucky lot that work in the city centre, then you are spoilt for choice for a posh lunch out! 

Obviously, I’m not saying wine and dine yourself every day, as that’d be bad for the wallet and the waistline, but why not treat yourself to a midweek lunchtime sit down meal? It’s a win-win situation for both you and the restaurant. ⁣

Gift Vouchers

If you’re feeling particularly generous, why not buy a gift voucher for someone you love who can go? There are loads of places offering vouchers for you to redeem back on yummy food and drink, so, if anyone’s got a birthday coming up, maybe think of grabbing them a voucher for one of their faves?

Book for the Future

And finally, and this one goes without saying really, book in for a date in the future! If for whatever reason you can’t venture out this month, then get a mate date or a catch-up lunch in the diary for later on in the year.

If restaurants are seeing their bookings fill up for the next few months, then this means they can plan stock and also work out how much money will be coming in! Imperative to running a successful joint.

However, if you can’t make your booking any longer PLEASE cancel, there’s nothing worse than when a restaurant has a healthy booking list for the evening and no one turns up. It’s a waste of everyone’s time and money.

If you can in any way help this month, please, please do. Most restaurants wouldn’t exist without you!

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This January, Eat Well MCR have also released their very own Amazon Wishlist, meaning you can buy ingredients directly so that they can deliver chef-made meals to people in need across Manchester.

Amazon Wishlist

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www.eatwellmcr.org