We all know the maxim; spending time with the family is critical to both our health and mental well-being. In these times of increased stress and turmoil bringing the family together is ever more important to strengthen the ties that bind and bond. It also helps if Auntie Beryl has made one of her legendary trifles - that’s family bonding right there. Pass us the squirty cream, please! It’s not just the feel-good factor, though. Turns out there’s actual science attached to the benefits of family time. According to a recent report, parents spend only 39 minutes per week in meaningful conversation with their children. Still, making quality time as a family has statistically significant effects on the well-being of kids, including better grades, improved mental health, and social competence. Those clever research boffins, hey? That’s the science bit over (phew!) so let’s talk cash. We all know that the cost of living is growing all the time meaning there is often more month than money. We’re no scientists - but we are good at bringing you all the money-saving ideas. That’s our specialist subject, right there. So what about a family lunchtime get-together? How can you save money and get everyone together over a tasty spread? Read on for our pick of the tastiest and cheapest ways to bring the whole crew together at lunchtime.
Tom Pressman
19-01-2025
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You live for Italian food and your local Prezzo has never looked more inviting. You are itching to share your quite indecent love of Mozzarella with Auntie Beryl - she of trifle fame - and it’s time for a well-deserved family lunch get-together. You’ve got to show the wider family that it’s not only Auntie B who knows her way around good food.
Dining at Prezzo is always a delight and the menu is packed with all the mood-enhancing, carb-loaded favourites you have come to expect from one of the most loved Italian dining restaurants on the UK high street.
Yes, enjoy the pizza and pasta but don’t forget to leave room for ‘pud’. The best Italian desserts at Prezzo are to die for, we know, but have you tried one of the more recent additions to the Prezzo selection; the baked Italian orange cheesecake? It’s a citrus taste sensation good enough to share. Sometimes that’s all a family lunch requires, isn’t it? Carbs, a few ‘in’ jokes, and some shared puds to round it off.
You’ll need to remind your server that you want to use your tastecard when you ask for the bill. We’ll let you wrestle with splitting the bill, though. That’s a shared family joke in itself.
The comfort and memory-making moments provided by regularly breaking bread as a family can help children feel more confident in themselves, according to those experts we mentioned earlier! By encouraging kids to talk about their day, you're communicating that you value them and what they have to say. Let’s say you’ve planned a full day in town as a family as a way of getting the kids off their devices. Your credit card started to take a bashing as soon as the shops opened and you’ve got a theatre booking for the evening - you’ve used your deals on days out from tastecard for this too of course. You’re flagging, the kids are squabbling and you need a re-fuel.
Enter tastecard and our Ed's Diner offers. There’s no need to book here, you can just rock up and find a booth to suit the whole family vibe. Their food and the ambience of their eponymous diners come from a special place in USA history. Proud Americana and the retro spirit of the classic diners on Route 66 where family dining was as much a part of the experience as the menu. At Ed’s Diner, tasty, retro food and a great welcome come with a dollop of nostalgic American rock’n’roll.
That’s not all. Take your tastecard along for this family outing and you’ll save 25% off food & drinks from Sunday to Thursday, meaning that you and the famalam can load up on hot dogs, nachos, mac ‘n’ cheese, and waffle fries to the contentment of both your hearts and tummies. Score!
Family lunches are never bettered than eating as a group and enjoying Bella Italia 2 for 1 restaurant deals. This much-loved chain even hosts birthday parties for the little ones where you can enjoy all the delights of the extremely tempting à la carte menu and the kids can craft their very own pizzas. From polpette parmigiano or the new calzonetti 'nduja to the classic carbonara, cacio e pepe, or traditional lasagne there’s something for everyone. We’re not sure you’ll have room for dessert but if you can squeeze in one more Italian treat then the creamy and delicious tiramisu is hard to beat. With your tastecard you can be assured that all courses will be 2 for 1 from Sunday to Thursday - just simply remember to show your card when you ask for your bill.
Italian, American, tapas - it’s all available to you at tastecard. Get ready to enjoy the flavours of the world without even having to leave the UK with tastecard!
