Restaurants and the hospitality industry in general, are facing an incredibly tough time ahead so by supporting your favourite restaurants, pubs and bars you’ll help them be able to stay open. Some restaurants and bars have pivoted to focus more on delivery – see our faves here – while other venues are offering incentives and running fundraising initiatives to keep afloat.
DONATIONS
With so many places shutting, even temporarily, thousands of hospitality workers will be left struggling to pay their bills. Tom Brown has partnered with Hospitality Action for a campaign to raise as much money as possible to help people in crisis as a result of the coronavirus outbreak. If you were planning to spend money at a bar or a restaurant over the next few weeks, consider donating the amount instead. If you’re WFH and therefore saving money on commuting in, you can donate the cost of your journey to Hospitality Action to help support those who can’t work from home.
Lina Stores is running a crowdfunding campaign to help provide free food, in the form of pasta and sauce kits, to Londoners in need, including unemployed workers within the hospitality industry. Fuel the Fight is helping support restaurants and the NHS at the same time, by using donations to buy full-price meals from London restaurants to then feed frontline workers, so donate for a double whammy.
With much of the hospitality sector shut down, the dairy industry is struggling, having to throw away thousands of litres of milk. The Got Milk Fund has been set up to purchase dairy products from farmers and producers, which can then be redistributed to those in need via Fare Share. You can donate by buying one of their specially designed tees.
Omeara’s crowdfunding campaign includes a raffle of prizes, including tickets to all future shows, a supper club at Lupins and a takeover of Flat Iron Square. The venue has also teamed up with designer Louise Goldin for a limited edition run of merch. With the Virtual Pints campaign you can donate the cost of pint (or a cocktail or even a whole round of drinks) to help support pubs and independent venues at risk of permanent closure. If you own a business in need of help or you know one that’s struggling to survive, you can take advantage of the Mayor of London’s Pay It Forward scheme, which is offering free crowdfunding to help companies pre-sell items that can redeemed on re-opening.
COOKBOOKS
You may not be able to eat at your fave restaurants right now but you can still support them by buying their cookbooks. And we’re pretty sure that attempting the dishes will only make you appreciate the restaurants even more. If you’re missing great Indian food, have go at home with the Dishoom and Kricket books; go big and bold with recipes from Black Axe Mangal or classic with Quality Chop House; recreate your fave brunch with a little help from Caravan; pimp your homemade sarnies with some tips from Max’s Sandwich Shop; and do Turkish at home with Oklava.
MERCHANDISE
Lots of restaurants sell epic merchandise, so if you ever wanted to rep your fave spot, now is the time – and it wouldn’t hurt to switch up your lockdown wardrobe either. Designers Josh Taylor-Dadds, Louisa Saddington, Danny Philpot and Rebecca Bright from VMLY&R London have set up Keep Pubs Pumping, a platform that sells merch created by illustrators for beloved London pubs, with all profits going to the venues. You can’t buy pints right now but you can but tote bags.
VOUCHERS
A few restaurants and bars have started to offer an extra bonus amount for free when you purchase a gift voucher. So if you’re willing to put up the cash now, you can use these vouchers in a few months time when things have (hopefully!) returned to normal.
Budweiser has started the #SavePubLife scheme, where you can buy a gift card for your fave pub for whatever amount you choose. Budweiser then matches the amount and donates it immediately (so if you purchased a £20 voucher, the pub would get £40 right now) and then you can spend your original amount once the pub has re-opened.
Kricket
Offering an extra 20% on vouchers over £250
Harts Group
A bigger minimum spend here of £1000, which will get you a voucher worth £1250. Great for a big group meal later in the year, or to split several meals between the groups many excellent restaurants including Barrafina, Quo Vadis, and El Pastor
Westerns Laundry
Offering 20% extra on vouchers over £100.
40ft Brewery
We love the 40ft Brewery tap room in Dalston. They’re going to be closing up from this weekend but they are running a great offer for when they re-open: if you buy a bar tab now for future use, they will DOUBLE it. Purchase online here.
Patty & Bun
If you buy a £30 or £50 voucher, you’ll get a Patty & Bun Black Card which gets you 10% off P&B for life.
Bleecker
Bleecker Burger are offering a 20% bonus on gift card purchases.
Gauthier Soho
This week there is a 25% discount on ALL Gauthier Soho gift vouchers and experiences, use the code LOYALTY. Offer ends Sunday 22nd March. Current and new vouchers will have an extra six months in which to use them too.
Corrigan’s Mayfair
Offering an extra 25% on top of any gift vouchers purchased.