Tesco free kids' meals: Two strict rules for claiming this October half term

The supermarket is running its Kids Eat Free scheme again this half-term

Tesco is once again giving away free meals to children in its cafes this half term as part of its ‘Kids Eat Free’ scheme. The supermarket first introduced the initiative in the summer holidays to help families cope with the rising cost of living.

In total Tesco said its cafes fed more than 260,000 children and the company had decided to bring the scheme back for the upcoming school half term. Parents can claim one free kids’ meal worth up to £3.25, but they have to meet two requirements to take part in the scheme.

First they must be a Clubcard holder, and secondly they must spend at least 60p on a piece of fresh fruit. The scheme will run on weekdays from October 17 to 28, applying to 311 Tesco cafes across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. It will also run between October 31 and November 4 in Wales.

Following the success of the summer initiative, Allesandra Bellini, chief customer officer at Tesco, said: “Kids Eat Free is just one of the ways we’re helping our customers spend less at Tesco.

“We know that costs can add up over the school holidays, so offering free meals to children with any item purchased at our cafes for an adult, is one of the ways we are supporting parents during this time.”

Tesco is not the only supermarket giant trying to ease the financial burden on families during the holidays. In late July Asda launched its ‘Kids Eat for £1’ initiative and the chain has since served more than 557,000 meals. The scheme runs every day until the end of the year in stores across England and Wales.

In addition they have introduced the ‘warmer winter’ deal consisting of a soup, roll and unlimited tea or coffee for just a pound. This will run every day throughout November and December and applies to all customers over 60.

Mohsin Issa, Asda’s co-owner, said: “We know that this winter is set to be incredibly hard for thousands of pensioners as they worry about how to keep themselves warm in the face of rising living costs and a fixed income.

“We’ve already been able to serve over half a million meals through our Kids Eat for £1 initiative in our cafes and we’re hoping our new offer of soup and hot drinks for over 60s will prove just as impactful for those who need it most.”