During August, millions across the country enjoyed half-price meals thanks to the Government's 'Eat Out to Help Out' initiative. The scheme has been universally popular, especially with customers who love a bargain. In Scotland alone, 6 million meals were discounted!
However, for workers and business owners in the hospitality sector, it represents far more than just a nice gesture. Almost two million jobs have been saved by the scheme as well as thousands of local businesses that were facing massive shortfalls following lockdown. ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ is just one of many Government programmes that are helping to keep the economy afloat during the pandemic. Conservatives across the country should be proud of what has been achieved so far.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has acted as the face of this spending boom and is now one of the most admired politicians in the country. A YouGov poll showed that 59% of Britons approved of his emergency spending measures, and the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme is one of the most popular. Like Sunak, many of the biggest beneficiaries of the project are from BAME backgrounds. The prevalence of international cuisine in the UK means there are a significant number of restauranteurs from a minority ethnic background.
Chinese and Indian food are amongst the most well-liked culinary styles according to recent market research. There are around 10,000 Indian restaurants in the UK. Interestingly, the vast majority of them are actually owned and operated by Bangladeshis. Scotland has played an essential part in the development of British-Indian and British-Chinese cuisine. Both types of food are slightly more popular in Scotland than the rest of the UK. Glasgow is, of course, the rumoured home of the UK's national dish, chicken tikka masala.
Scottish tastes are becoming even more diverse with Caribbean cuisine being the food most people want to try. As the BAME population continues to grow and Scottish tastes become increasingly adventurous, ethnic minority cuisine will come to play an ever-larger role within the broader food and drink sector. This is something the Government are no doubt aware of, as they seek to protect our nations beloved restaurants, cafes and pubs.
Overall, the ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ scheme has been massively beneficial to Scotland and the BAME community in particular. This has entirely dispelled the idea that the Government does not care about the interests of the BAME community. For too long left-wing parties have claimed an entitlement to the minority ethnic vote. Policies like ‘Eat Out to Help Out’, combined with a more diverse Conservative cabinet are revealing who genuinely cares about Scottish BAME interests.