A number of restaurants, cafes and shops will be serving up some special kids offers this summer (Image: Hungry Horse)
With the summer holidays underway, many parents are left wondering how to keep their children entertained and well-fed throughout the six-week break.
It’s a mighty challenge but there’s some relief available with numerous supermarkets and renowned restaurants offering budget-friendly deals. It means children can dine with you for free or just £1, making for an outing that won’t empty your wallet.
Here’s a list of the best deals featuring everything from unlimited breakfasts and Greek feasts to Japanese treats and vegan pizza. There’s also traditional pub food – sure to satisfy even the pickiest eaters.
Many of these offers necessitate the purchase of an adult meal or a minimum spend, but none exceed £10. Some even include a three-course meal for those special occasions.
It’s worth noting that these venues can change or withdraw their offers at short notice, so it’s always advisable to check with your server, in-store or online before ordering, reports the Manchester Evening News.
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Bella Italia is one of dozens of restaurants offering school holiday deals this summer (Image: Jonathan White)
Tesco
From July 22 to August 30, kids can enjoy a hot meal or breakfast free in any Tesco cafe, provided they’re dining in and accompanied by an adult who’s purchased a meal. The offer runs Monday to Friday, excluding weekends and the only catch is that you have to have a Tesco Clubcard to benefit from the offer.
Breakfast options include a selection of eggs, beans or avocado on toast, crumpets with jam or blueberry pancakes. The lunch meal deal offers a variety of mains such as tomato pasta, sausages, fish fingers or chicken goujons, accompanied by two sides and a drink.
Morrisons
Morrisons cafes are offering free meals to children under 16 with the purchase of an adult meal worth £5 or more. This offer is available all day every day and includes either a hot meal from the kids’ menu or a chilled snack pack, along with a piece of fruit and a bottle of juice or water.
The menu features a build-your-own breakfast, bangers and mash (with a veggie option), macaroni cheese and a range of sandwiches.
Sainsbury’s
At Sainsbury’s cafes, an adult’s main meal purchase for £5.50 or more entitles your child to a free hot main meal or lunch bag. The build-your-own offer allows children to choose from sausages, fish fingers, chicken nuggets, pizza or a shroomdog plus a side, two veg, a piece of fruit and a drink.
This offer will be available throughout the summer, from July 15 to September 3.
Beefeater, Brewers Fayre and Table Table
At any of these three chains, for every adult breakfast purchased, two children under 16 can eat absolutely for free. Their unlimited, buffet-style cooked breakfast costs £10.99, while their unlimited continental breakfast is priced at £8.99.
There are over 140 Beefeater locations, 148 Brewers Fayre and 61 Table Table locations across the UK, just check online to find your nearest restaurant. The breakfast offer runs all year round but in a special for the summer holidays, July 22 to August 30, Brewers Fayre are offering two mains and two kids’ meals for just £20, in their Feed the Family deal.
The Real Greek
There are 24 branches of the Real Greek across the UK, all of which offer a free kids meal for every £10 spent per adult every Sunday. The freebie includes a children’s main, drink and an ice cream or sorbet. For their free main, kids can choose between a souvlaki wrap (chicken, sausage or halloumi fillings) or a tantalising meze selection.
Beefeater on Whitley bay sea front (Image: Newcastle Chronicle)
Travelodge
For families on the road this summer, every full-paying adult having breakfast at a Travelodge enables up to two kids aged 15 or under to have breakfast free. There are almost 600 sites in the UK, and their offering includes a traditional cooked breakfast (and a vegan version) plus a lighter selection including yoghurts, fruit salad and pastries.
Premier Inn
Premier Inn, another budget hotel chain, has a similar offer for families this summer. When an adult orders a full breakfast or meal deal, up to two children under 16 can eat breakfast for free. The chain offers unlimited cooked and continental breakfasts, a variety of cereals and pastries, and unlimited drinks, including vegan bacon.
Bill’s
The all-day breakfast, brunch and dining spot, has renewed its offer for the summer holidays in 2024. From July 22 to August 30, up to two children can eat for free from Monday to Friday if one adult orders any main dish.
The offer excludes weekends and the kid’s menu includes options such as buttermilk pancakes, mac and cheese, and fish fingers and chips.
Bella Italia
This Italian-style chain with over 70 UK locations, allows children under 11 to eat for free every Thursday, alongside the purchase of an adult meal. From Sunday to Wednesday, kids can eat for £1 between 4pm and 6pm, alongside an adult meal.
Yo! Sushi
The iconic conveyor belt restaurant serving Japanese-inspired dishes has a special offer for kids this summer. From July 1 to August 30, children can eat for free all day in their restaurants alongside a full-paying adult.
The minimum spend for the accompanying adult is £10, which allows up to three kids under 12 to enjoy a kids’ bento box free of charge. Yo Sushi has more than 500 UK restaurants.
Ikea, Cardiff, where the restaurant has been revamped.pic Rob Browne (Image: South Wales Echo)
Dobbie’s Garden Centre
A trip to Dobbie’s Garden Centre is incomplete without a visit to the cafe. Here, children can relish a free breakfast with any adult breakfast order, or a complimentary hot meal or pick’n’mix lunchbox with any adult main course.
This offer is available daily in their restaurants and also includes a free drink.
TGI Fridays
Renowned as a hotspot for children’s birthday parties, TGI Fridays offers kids the chance to eat free all day every day with every adult meal ordered. The only stipulation is that you have to be a member of their rewards programme, Stripes.
TGIs don’t specify what’s included in the kid’s menu, but there is no specified age limit.
Brewdog
From July 26 to September 8, Brewdog is offering a free kids meal to children under 13 along with the purchase of an adult main meal. To snag this deal, you’ll need to book online and select the booking type ‘kids eat free’ to opt in.
Pausa Cafe at Dunelm
Spend just £4 at Pausa Cafe, the coffee shops tucked inside Dunelm stores, and you will qualify for a free kids’ meal consisting of a mini main, two snacks and a drink. The offer is available all day, every day and can be found at the 179 Dunelm stores across the UK.
Asda
Children can dine for a mere £1 at any Asda Cafe throughout the year, not just during school holidays. The menu includes pasta with meatballs, fish fingers, chicken nuggets, an all-day breakfast and a vegan ‘hidden veg’ pasta dish or a pick and mix consisting of a sandwich, drink, piece of fruit and two treat items.
The offer applies to any child under 16. Asda estimates that it served an impressive 115,000 £1 meals during the Easter holidays last year, dubbing its service “a life line for many cash strapped families”.
Hungry Horse
Hungry Horse, boasting 246 UK locations, offers a deal where children can eat for just £1 every Monday. They also provide slightly larger meals for only £1.50.
Sizzling Pubs
This pub chain has a year-round children’s offer, which allows kids to eat for £1 from 3pm onwards, Mondays to Fridays when an adult main meal is purchased. During the summer holidays, this offer starts earlier at 12pm.
The chain, with around 240 UK restaurants, offers a three-course meal – main, drink, and dessert – for just £4.49 for those under five and £5.49 for kids over five.
Ikea
The Swedish homeware retailer doesn’t have a specific summer offer but provides children’s meals at affordable prices throughout the year. Offers include mac and cheese or tomato and pasta sauce for just 95p and children’s versions of the meat or plantballs with sides of mash, lingonberry jam and gravy are available for just £1.50.
Banana Tree
Banana Tree restaurants are offering a free kid’s main meal and dessert every Sunday with each full-price main meal ordered from the all-day menu. However, this offer does not apply to Banana Tree Soho, Covent Garden, Oxford and the O2 location on event days.
Franco Manca
The pizza chain is providing kids aged 12 and under with a free pizza for every adult main purchased at selected locations. These include Stoke Newington, East Dulwich, Balham, Chiswick, Kilburn, Bishops Stortford, Cheltenham, Hove, Manchester Didsbury, Manchester Trafford Centre, and Peterborough.
This offer is only available for eat-in orders, applies to individual kids’ pizzas (not the extended kids menu) and cannot be used in conjunction with any other offer.
Las Iguanas
is also offering a free niños meal for kids under 12, but diners must download the Las Iguanas app to avail of this offer. Each adult ordering a main course from the a la carte menu can claim a free kids’ meal which includes a main, two sides and a dessert.
However, this offer is not available on big event days at the O2, Wembley, Resorts World, Cardiff Mill Lane, or Brindley Place restaurants, or at Las Iguanas Center Parcs.
