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Cooking can be great! Fun, creative and a great way to get your little one involved in real-life tasks.
But everyone likes to take a break from it every so often. Although with costs rising, eating out as a family might seem almost impossible.
There is some good news, however – lots of chain cafes and restaurants are offering great family deals over the summer holidays so that children are able to eat either for free or for just £1, helping to ease the strain on eating out.
Here are places where children eat for free
Beefeater & Brewers Fayre
Until 1 September
Up to two children, under 16, can get a free breakfast with one paying adult. This offer is available every day.
Bills
Weekdays 24 July – 1 September
Up to two children, under 10, can eat for free from the kids’ menu all day if one adult orders any main dish. Drinks aren’t included in this offer.
English Heritage Sites
Until 31 August
Members visiting English Heritage’s most popular sites can get a children's meal for free when they spend £10 or more in the cafe. The offer, for under 18s, includes up to two free children’s lunch boxes.
Gordon Ramsay Restaurants
Ongoing
Children under the age of eight can enjoy a free main meal from the set children’s menu, for every adult ordering from the a la carte menu The offer is available at the restaurant chain’s London eateries.
M&S Café
Until 1 September
This summer, children can enjoy one main, one snack and a drink from the Kids' Munch Menu when you spend £5 or more in an M&S Café. This offer is only available on weekdays.
Morrisons
Ongoing
Under 16s can eat for free when an adult spends £4.49 or more on a meal. And until 13 August, anyone who ‘Asks for Ellen’ can receive two toasted crumpets, with butter and jam for free.
Pausa Café @ Dunelm
Ongoing
Children can get 1 mini main and 2 snacks and a drink for free with every £4 spent. This offer is available all day, every day.
Preto
Ongoing
Visit the website to download a voucher, entitling you to a free child’s meal for every full-paying adult ordering from the grill selection, valid every weekday from 4pm and all weekend.
The Real Greek
Sundays, ongoing
Children aged 12 and under can enjoy a main from the kids’ menu, a drink and ice cream or sorbet for every £10 spent by an adult.
TGI Friday’s
Ongoing
Members of the TGI Friday’s Stripes rewards programme who have downloaded the app can feed one child for free when they order an adult’s main meal.
Tesco
Until 1 September
Children can eat for free Mon - Fri during the summer holidays when an adult buys something in a Tesco Cafe when showing their Tesco Clubcard at the till.
Travelodge
Ongoing
Buy one adult breakfast from £8.99 and up to two children, under 15, can eat breakfast for free.
Yo Sushi
Until 1 September
Up to three children under 12 can enjoy some sushi and Japanese favourites. For every £10 spent by an accompanying adult, one child can enjoy a free kids’ meal deal bento box. This is available Mon – Fri only at dine-in restaurants.
Places where children can eat for £1
Asda Cafes
Until the end of the year
Children under 16 can enjoy hot or cold meal for £1 at any of Asda’s café until the end of the year. There is no minimum spend and the deal is available all day, every day.
Free Ella’s baby food pouches are also offered to babies under 18 months old with any purchase.
Bella Italia
Ongoing
Children eat for £1 with every purchase of an adult main course from 4-6pm Mon – Thurs and Sat/Sun in some locations.
Sainsbury’s
Ongoing
Enjoy one children’s hot main meal for £1 with the purchase of an adult hot main meal, or a minimum spend of £5.20 in the Sainsbury's café. Available every day from 11:30am.
Giraffe
From 24 July – 1 September
Visit the website to get a voucher code to allow a child to have a £1 kids' main meal, with the purchase of an adult’s main meal.
Premier Inn
Until 1 September
Whether you're a guest in the hotel or not, children can enjoy dishes off the kids’ menu at Premier Inn's Thyme restaurants for just £1. This can be redeemed for up to 2 children, under 16, per paying adult (who must purchase a drink over £1.99 and a main).
Sizzling Pubs
Ongoing
For every adult meal, you can order a kid’s main for just £1. The offer is available Monday to Friday between 3-7pm.
IKEA
Ongoing
Children can get a meal from 95p daily from 11am.