It's Monday in Hitchin - which can only mean the Eat Out to Help Out scheme is back!

Hitchin Nub News has been monitoring our town on Eat Out to Help Out days - and we can confirm restaurants in the town centre are bustling.

We decided to see if restaurants were benefitting from extra footfall from the scheme - so we went to various eateries to see how they were doing last Monday.

In our unscientific straw poll we saw full restaurants in Granello Lounge, Bar Azita, Kite at the Red Hart, Pizza Express, Lussmans, Deroka and Bosphorous - with JD Wetherspoon as busy as a Saturday night.

In the first seven restaurants above, we spoke to staff who told they had no walk-in tables available on the night due to the increased demand - with punters who had been turned away telling us they fully intended to book a table a week ahead in order to bag a table this Monday evening.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak's initiative - which allows diners 50 per cent off their meals - had already proved to be hugely popular with many in the town who eagerly took part in the government backed scheme.

The initiative runs every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August and you can use it as many times as you like without the need for vouchers.

So, here's our updated list below of all Hitchin eateries now taking part.

Please note the list below is subject to constant change as more and more Hitchin businesses sign up.

..........

You can use the Eat Out to Help Out scheme at a participating establishment in Hitchin:

- to get a 50% discount on food or non-alcoholic drinks

- to eat or drink in (up to a maximum of £10 discount per diner)

- every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in August

as many times as you like

You do not need a voucher to use this scheme and you can use it at the same time as other offers and discounts.

There is no minimum spend.

You cannot claim discount on alcoholic drinks or service charges.

The discount will be automatically available to you at participating establishments.

Establishments will then claim a reimbursement from the government for the discount they've given you.

............

The full list of Hitchin eateries in the town and surrounding areas participating in the scheme are as follows:

Coopers Arms

Grannello Lounge

Mint Leaf Hitchin

Molly's Tea Room

North Hertfordshire Museum Cafe

Taste Buds

Costa Coffee Hitchin

Paprika Spice Ltd

Regent Cottage Restaurant

Raj Douth Tandoori Cuisine

Fussey & Baer

Osinsky's

Casbah Grill Ltd

Starbucks

Hitchin Cafe

The Groundworks

Chia Naturally Healthy

Halsey's Deli & Eatery

Bar Azita

Bar Amigo

Deroka restaurant

Chilli B's

Four Leaf Clover

Kite at The Red Hart

Bosphorus Restaurant

Lussmanns

Los Reyes

Radcliffe Arms

Mevan Ocakbasi

Khushma Cottage

The Albert Inn

Bridge Street Bistro

The Old George, Ickleford

Plume of Feathers, Ickleford

1. 04 miles away

Hitchin Garden Centre

The Bull, Gosmore

Motte & Bailey, PIrton

Please note this list is subject to constant change as more businesses sign up.

If you are a restaurant or eatery that has joined the scheme please contact us at [email protected] to let us know, so we can update our details.