The ultimate guide to cheap kids' meals this summer holidays – plus the chains where your little ones can eat for FREE

Scottish Sun

a day ago

Mum-of-two Michelle Morgan Davies, 36, always gets an all-you-can-eat brekkie at restaurants where up to two kids can eat free - filling them up for most of the day
TUCK IN The ultimate guide to cheap kids' meals this summer holidays – plus the chains where your little ones can eat for FREE
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IF you don't want to take out a second mortgage to fund your kids' eating this summer, then you need our handy guide of all the best deals when it comes to eating out over the holidays.
Plus, Sun Savers editor and mum-of-two Lana Clements reveals her top five places to eat out for a family of four.
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The cost of feeding children at restaurants during the holidays can be more than expected
Credit: Getty
Lots of chains do meal deals over the summer, but it can be tricky to work out which ones are value for money and which ones will dent your wallet.
In some restaurants, an adult meal needs to be bought or a minimum spend is in place to qualify for food deals.
In fact, the minimum cost of feeding two children under the deals starts at just £1.30 and can go all the way up to £31.
But the Sun's Money team has done the hard work for you and rounded up all the best deals with terms and conditions to make eating out as straightforward as possible.
We have also worked out the minimum cost for feeding two children, so you can quickly compare the best value for your family, and make the most of your day out.
Find out how you can make big savings with our helpful tips...
Tesco Cafes
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £1.30
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Kids eat free at Tesco cafes and you can get a yummy hot meal
Credit: Getty
During the school holidays, from Mondays to Fridays, kids eat free with any purchase from the adult menu.
Kids can choose from the likes of chicken goujons, fish fingers or pasta shells.
There is no minimum spend for the purchase, so you can buy the cheapest item - a piece of fruit for 65p - to get the deal.
You'll need to be a Clubcard holder to get the deal.
The offer runs in England and Wales from July 21 to August 29, excluding weekends, and in Scotland from July 7 to August 22, excluding weekends.
IKEA
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £1.90
Kids' meals start at 95p for pasta and tomato sauce available daily from 11am in IKEA restaurants.
There's no minimum purchase needed for these budget prices, or an obligation for an adult to buy anything at all.
At the same time, the chain is running an offer until August 29 for members of its loyalty scheme who can get 50% off main meals and children's meals, from 11am until the restaurant closes.
Asda Cafés
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £2
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Kids can eat for as little as £1 at Asda cafes - here's what you need to know
Credit: Alamy
Kids' meals can be bought for just £1 every day across 205 stores nationwide.
There's no minimum spend needed for this one, and the offer applies to kids up to the age of 16.
You can choose anything from the kids' menu. Hot meals include an all-day breakfast, fish fingers, penne pasta and meatballs, and margherita pizza.
Each hot meal also comes with a piece of fruit.
Or there's a £1 cold pick and mix selection that includes a sandwich, drink and a piece of fruit.
Adult meals also start from as little as £6.95.
Cafes' opening times vary, but you can check your local cafe using the Asda website.
Typical hours, however, are 8.30am until 6pm, so you could choose from breakfast, lunch or an early dinner.
Subway
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £7.98
Families can enjoy one free kids' meal with the purchase of any footlong sub, with prices starting from £3.99.
The little subs kids' pack includes a 4-inch mini sub, a snack, and a drink.
This offer, however, is relatively short-lived and expires on August 17.
Pausa Cafés at Dunelm
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £8
One kid eats free with every £4 spent in the café all day, every day.
You can then choose a kid's main, drink and two snacks under the deal.
Frustratingly, a large hot drink and a doughnut fall just short of the threshold at £3.90, but you can get it over the line with a pack of crisps or similar.
Bills
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £9.95
Up to two kids eat free from Monday to Friday, when one adult orders any main dish, breakfast, lunch or dinner.
The children's menu features the likes of buttermilk pancakes, mac & cheese and fish fingers.
Menu prices vary by location. The cheapest menu item from the branch we looked at was from the three-stack of pancakes, £9.95, served from 11.30am.
Morrisons Cafés
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £11 with an adult meal or £7.90 without
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Morrisons cafes offer great deals for hungry families and you get fruit and drinks too
Credit: Michael Schofield
At Morrisons supermarket cafes, you can get one free kids' meal for under 16s with any adult meal over £5.
The offer is available daily and includes a piece of fruit and a drink.
The deal excludes extras, so you'd be looking at having to buy at least a small breakfast, £5.50, to qualify for the offer.
At the same time, kids' meals cost £3.95, so if you are not bothered about eating, you'd be better off opting for kids' meals alone.
Jordan Cox's cheap deals and freebies
Coupon King Jordon Cox reveals how to get cheap deals and freebies using loyalty cards this summer.
With summer fast approaching, and the costs of entertaining your kids still high, you might be worried about the impact on your wallet.
However, some of the loyalty cards in your wallet might be the key to getting through summer a lot cheaper.
There are some great value redemptions if you've been collecting points, but even if you haven't - just by being signed up to selected loyalty cards can unlock hidden perks to cut your costs.
These are the loyalty card deals and redemptions you should know about.
Free activities With IKEA Family
Throughout the year, IKEA offers free activities and events for all ages if you have an IKEA Family card.
In the summer, you'll likely find crafting sessions free for kids, and some adult sessions too - but you'll need to book a session online to secure your space.
It's worth keeping the website bookmarked, and keep checking back for a free day out.
Days Out Theme Park Tickets From £16.50 With Tesco Clubcard
If you have a bit to spend in Clubcard vouchers, you can use them on theme parks around the country this summer.
Thorpe Park tickets can be picked up from £33 per ticket during peak summer if booked in advance - which you're able to get for £16.50 with the Clubcard double up.
You do have to book in advance for specific days, so the tickets aren't flexible - but it's much better value than paying £66 on the gate.
Trip to Paris
£10 off Eurostar Trains With Nectar
If you've got Nectar points burning a hole in your pocket, you could spend them on a trip over the English Channel.
You can exchange 2,000 points for a £10 voucher, 5,000 points for a £25 voucher, 10,000 points for a £50 voucher or 20,000 points for a £100 voucher.
This can be used in part payment towards a train to Paris, Amsterdam, Brussels & more, which should make those sometimes £100+ tickets cheaper.
Free Food
If you sign up for the Pizza Express Club, every single time you visit - you can get some free dough balls or a side of your choice.
You'll need to spend £10 or more on food or drink to unlock the offer, but it's valid every day of the week, at any time, including summer holidays.
A portion of Dough Balls can cost up to £6.95, while sides can cost up to £7.45. You don't have to take your kids to get this deal.
Sizzling Pubs
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £15
Kids eat for £1 when an adult main meal is bought.
The offer runs Monday to Friday between 12–7pm during school holidays or after 3pm until 7pm outside of school holidays.
Or you can get two adult mains for £13 and then two kids' main meals for just £1 each.
Ask Italian
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £13.50
Up to two kids under the age of 10 can eat for free when an adult buys a main meal.
You'll need to get a code for the promotion by filling in a short form on the chain's website.
Kids can choose from a Happy Face Pizza or from a range of pasta with sauce dishes.
The offer runs during school holidays only.
Adult main prices depend on location, but in the branch we searched, the cheapest menu items were margherita pizza and spaghetti al pomodoro, both starting at £13.50.
Franco Manca
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £15.90
One child aged 12 and under can get a complimentary pizza for every full-priced adult main meal bought from Monday to Thursday.
Adult meals start from as little as £7.95.
However, the deal is limited to the Stoke Newington, Kilburn, Bishops Stortford, Cheltenham, Hove, Plymouth and Didsbury branches.
More ways to save on dining
It isn't just kids eat free promotions that can cut the cost of eating as a family. Tastecard
You can currently, buy a Tastecard for £29.99 and it lasts for a year. The membership unlocks two for one deals dining at restaurants including Zizzi and Frankie & Bennys. Or there is 25% off the bill at Pizza Express and Las Iguanas. This is great for larger families and could make the investment worthwhile in one outing alone. Member deals
Sign up to your favourite chain's newsletters to get vouchers, freebies and other promotions that can cut the cost of dining out. Get cashback
You can buy giftcards for chains including ASK Italian, Cote, Harvester, Prezzo and more through topcashback.co.uk. Rates vary depending on the brand, but as an example you can currently get 9% back on Pizza Express.
Simply buy the giftcard ahead of your visit for your expected bill and you can use it to pay after eating. The purchase will track through the site and you'll get the money into your account usually within a few weeks.
Côte Brasserie
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £20
Children aged 12 and under can tuck into two free courses when parents spend a minimum of £20 over the school holidays.
You'll need to subscribe to the newsletter to unlock the offer.
The minimum spend means you have a bit more choice on the menu.
Yo! Sushi
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £20
Kids get a free bento box when an adult spends at least £10 during school holidays.
The bento box includes edamame, mixed veggie rice and a choice of protein such as chicken katsu.
One child eats free for every £10 spent by an accompanying adult. You can expect to pay from £10.95 for a katsu curry.
The offer runs Monday to Friday.
Pizza Hut
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £22
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Use a handy code to get £1 kids meals at Pizza Hut
Credit: Getty
You can pay £1 at Pizza Hut to access the kids' buffet with every £10 spent on other food.
The offer is available every day until 3pm with the code KEF1.
You'll need to spend £10 for each child.
Brewers Fayre and Beefeater
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £22.98
You can get one kid's meal free when buying an adult main at Whitbread restaurants, Brewers Fayre and Beefeater.
Prices vary by location, but you can expect mains to start from around £11.49.
You'll need to sign up for the respective chain's newsletter to tap into the deal by August 31, with the promotion finishing on September 1.
Dobbies Garden Centres
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £24
Kids eat for £1 with the purchase of an adult main course. The offer is available every day.
Choose from breakfast or a child's hot meal, or pick n mix lunch box.
Children also get a free drink with the offer.
Adults' breakfasts start from £8.50 and lunches are from £11.50.
Angus Steakhouse
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £25
Children aged eight and under can get a free kids' menu dish when an adult buys a meal from the à la carte menu.
Little ones will also receive an activity sheet and colouring crayons to help keep them entertained.
It is one free kids' meal per adult meal. So for a family with two children, you'd need two adults to buy a meal.
Adult meal prices start from £12.50 for a chopped salad.
The offer is available every day from 12-5pm.
Bella Italia
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £25.58 on Thursday, £27.58 Sunday to Wednesday.
Kids eat free every Monday to Thursday until August 28.
Under this offer, children get three courses plus a drink.
It's one child per paying adult, so you'll need two adults to feed two children and so on.
Kids' meals are suitable for 2-11-year-olds, and they'll also get colouring.
Adult prices vary by location. In the branch we checked, prices started from £12.79 for a margherita pizza.
'The kids ate so much for free, we could skip lunch'
MICHELLE Morgan Davies, 36, from Barry, South Wales takes advantage of kids eat free deals over the holidays for her two sons, Greg, 7, and Finn, 4.
The married mum-of-two and media relations expert told The Sun: "We've always enjoyed trying new places and eating out, that hasn't changed since becoming parents.
"But eating out as a family of four can be really pricey so using kids eat free or discount schemes really helps us to manage our budget."
The family often pops into Cardiff for the museum, parks and a look around the shops and then some food.
She added: "The kids have always come along but they are more involved now and pick their own meals.
"Now we're out of the baby phase it's definitely less stressful and we can take our time."
Michelle recommends the all-you-can-eat breakfast at Brewers Fayre.
Two kids under 16 eat free with every adult breakfast, £10.99, outside of holidays.
During the holidays, the chain has expanded the offer so kids eat free with any adult main.
She says: "It's a favourite to set us up for a busy day. They had kids eat free on during the Easter holidays and we went as a big group with friends.
"The kids ate so much we could skip lunch.
"Before we head out on a family day I always check deals sites such as hotukdeals.com for the latest offers on day trips and meals out."
Michelle enjoys the kids eat free deals but says watch out for pricey add-ons that can push up costs.
She adds: "Be careful about getting stung on expensive drinks when you've had a good deal for food.
"Water is just fine at the table in a restaurant. Usually we'll grab a bottle of pop or squash afterwards in a shop."
Frankie & Benny's
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £23.50
Kids can eat for free every day until the end of August, when any adult meal is purchased over the holidays.
It's one free meal from the kids' menu with each adult main course.
Adult main prices start from £11.75 for a margherita pizza.
Just be sure to mention the offer when ordering and again when paying.
Pizza Express
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £17
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During the weekdays, kids eat free at Pizza Express
Credit: Getty
Kids get a free meal Monday to Friday when an adult meal is purchased during school holidays.
You'll need to be a member of the chain's Pizza Express Club to get the offer.
It's one free meal with each adult meal bought.
Children can then choose from a pizza, pasta or salad as main, and will get a dessert too.
Prices for adult meals vary by location. In the branch we looked up, prices started from £12.25 for a margherita pizza.
However, if you have two children, it makes more sense to pick another deal Pizza Express is offering.
The chain offers a three-course meal for kids for £8.50 - which makes it a cheaper way to feed two kids if no adults are eating.
That means you can feed two kids for just £17.
Brewdog
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £26
One free kids' meal for under 13s when an adult buys a main meal over the summer holidays.
You'll need to pre-book to take advantage of the deal and specifically select the booking type 'kids eat free'.
Kids Eat Free will be available from July and into August, and adult meals start from £13.
Chiquito
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £27.90
One kid eats free with every adult main purchased over the school holidays.
It's one child meal per adult main meal, with prices starting from £13.95 for a veg chilli.
TGI Fridays
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £27
Kids under 12 eat free with any adult main meal, prices start from £13.50.
The offer runs every day.
You'll need to join the chain's Stripes members programme to use the offer.
If you've got the Stripes Rewards app downloaded, for every adult meal you order, you get a kids meal for free.
The Real Greek
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £30
Kids under 12 eat free with every £15 adult spend.
It's one free meal per adult, so you will need to be two of you if you have two kids.
The top 5 cheapest deals for a family of four
ALL the terms and conditions can make it tricky to work out the best value lunch or dinner for a family.
Here we list the best value deals for a family of four including two adults and two children.
1. Ikea - £7.90
Weekday meals in tores are just £3 for adults while penne and pasta for children comes in at 95p each.
The low costs make the Swedish superstore one of the cheapest places to feed the family out.
2. Morrisons - £12
Although Morrisons deal isn't the best if you want to feed children alone. The reasonable adult mains prices and subsequent free kids meals (one per adult) means it's one of the best value for a family of four.
Bangers and mash, for example, is £6 for adults. Buy two of these for £12 and you'll get two kids meals for free.
3. Brewers Fayre - £15
During school holidays, the chain runs a 'kids eat free' promotion but instead offers two adult mains and two kids mains for £15.
If you're dining as a family of four, this in fact the cheapest way to feed all four including all the kids eat free promotions.
4. Asda - £15.90
Kids eat for £1 and there's no adult purchase needed.
However, if you want to sit down and eat with your kids, adult meals are £6.95 each.
5. Sizzling Pubs - £16
Similar to Brewers Fayre you can get two adult meals for £14, then two children's meals for £1 each.
Souvlaki wraps are £10 each; you could make up the spend for the offer with a regular Greek salad, £5.50.
The offer runs on Sundays only during and outside of school holidays.
Las Iguanas
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £31
Kids under 12 eat free during the holidays, you'll just need to download and sign up for the My Las Iguanas App.
The offer includes a full meal - normally priced at £7.50 - featuring a main, two sides, dessert, and a drink with every adult main course purchased from the a la carte menu.
Prices for adult meals start from £15.50.
Harvester
Minimum cost of feeding two children: £31.98
Kids eat for £1 Monday to Friday until August 29.
Prices will vary by location.
Free kids breakfast
Some venues offer kids eat free meals for breakfast only.
We've separated these out below.
Premier Inn
Cost of feeding two children: £10.99
Up to two kids can get a free breakfast with an adult breakfast, priced at £10.99.
Whitbread Inns
Cost of feeding two children: £20.99
Two kids under 16 eat breakfast free with every adult full breakfast, £20.99.