Here’s a press release from the Chichester Observer Magazine.
DINING out in style is probably one of the first luxuries we deny ourselves in difficult financial times, but a Chichester businessman has come up with a recession-busting solution which benefits both diners and top-class restaurants all over the south of England.
Roger Mallock established the Restaurant Members Club in May with the aim of making the dining experience affordable through a number of exclusive discounts – in many cases members receive unlimited free meals at a wide range of renowned hotels and eating places across an area stretching from Brighton to Bournemouth.
Already membership of RMC is surpassing target with more individuals and businesses signing up on a daily basis. And while other members’ organisations for diners have thrived nationwide in recent years, Roger believes the key to his club’s success is that it is community-based, focusing on local people and eating establishments within easy reach.
The concept is simple – and so is the way it operates. Members pay £50 to join and give their membership number when they telephone the restaurant of their choice to book a meal, and then show their membership card on arrival.
Among the 30-plus participating restaurants are the Dining Room at Purchases in Chichester, the Chichester Park Hotel, the Brookfield Hotel in Emsworth, the Angel Hotel in Midhurst, the Silk Road in Littlehampton and Annie Jones in Petersfield, and at all of these RMC members eat free when dining with at least one other person.
Consequently, if the total cost of the meal for two is say £60, the bill will be just £30, so by eating out only twice at restaurants taking part in the scheme, a member is likely to save more than the cost of the joining fee.
The membership runs until April 2010, and the scheme applies all week and not, as with some dining clubs, only on certain weekdays. Other restaurants and hotels, such as Cassons at Tangmere, the Angel Inn at Petworth and the Royal Norfolk Hotel in Bognor Regis operate on a 15 or 20 per cent reduction of the total bill, so the savings can be equally significant.
Some also offer discounts on other elements of their service. At the Champneys Spa in Forest Mere, for instance, there is a 15 per cent discount for any treatment. All the restaurants and hotels signed up to RMC have been carefully chosen by Roger for their outstanding locations and reputation for fine food and wines as well as their individual style. They include the Chewton Glen Hotel and Spa, situated between Bournemouth and Southampton and regarded as one of the best in the UK. Latest to join is the superb TerraVina boutique hotel in the New Forest with its award-winning restaurant.
The Restaurant Members Club has already found favour with the Chambers of Commerce in Chichester, Southampton and Portsmouth, with many of their members eager to take advantage of what it has to offer on both a corporate and personal level.
“I think the fine dining experience is very important, even in difficult economic times, and through the club I want to make it more affordable so that by paying the nominal £50 one-off fee, members then pay less to spend two or three hours in fantastic locations, enjoying the very best food and wines,” said Roger.
“Word is fast spreading and within three months I anticipate having 500 members, and 1,000 within six months. I think RMC is a unique lifestyle product and hope to see it become the premier local dining club in the south.”
Read the full press release here (pdf 1.9MB)
