Year-round Kids Eat Free (or for Less) in Cheltenham

Eating out with the kids can get expensive surprisingly quickly, especially when someone's ordered a full meal only to decide they're not hungry three bites in.

Fortunately, there are some decent family food deals in Cheltenham that aren't just for the school holidays. From free kids' meals at local restaurants to £1 lunches and cheaper breakfasts, here's where to look when you fancy giving the kitchen a night off.

Most offers have conditions, such as buying an adult meal or visiting at certain times, so it's worth checking the latest details before setting off.

Kids eat free at Cheltenham restaurants

Cantina del Barrio, Bath Road

Deal: Kids eat FREE Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm

An early tea on Bath Road could be a good shout if you're trying to eat out without spending a fortune.

Cantina del Barrio offers free kids' food on weekdays between 4pm and 6pm when you spend £10.

That makes it particularly handy for an after-school meal, rather than having to wait until everyone's hungry and grumpy.

When: Monday to Friday, 4pm to 6pm
Conditions: £10 minimum spend

Check the latest offers at Cantina del Barrio

The Beefy Boys, Regent Street

Deal: Kids eat FREE Monday to Friday, 3pm to 6.30pm

If burgers are the order of the day, The Beefy Boys has an early-evening family deal worth knowing about.

Kids can eat free with the purchase of an adult burger, Monday to Friday between 3pm and 6.30pm.

It's one to keep in mind for an early dinner in town, particularly if you're already planning to treat yourself to a burger.

When: Monday to Friday, 3pm to 6.30pm
Conditions: Adult burger purchase required

Visit The Beefy Boys website

Circo Brasserie, Cheltenham

Deal: Up to two FREE kids' main meals with an adult main

Circo Brasserie offers up to two complimentary children's main courses with the purchase of an adult main course.

Two kids' meals for the price of one adult main is a useful saving, especially for families with more than one child.

Conditions: Up to two children's mains per qualifying adult main

View Circo Brasserie's kids' menu

Turtle Bay, Cheltenham

Deal: Kids under 10 eat FREE with a £15 adult spend

Turtle Bay's kids-eat-free offer could be handy for families who fancy something a bit different from the usual burger-and-chips routine.

One child under 10 can eat free when an adult spends at least £15.

Age: Under 10s
Conditions: Minimum £15 adult spend

Check Turtle Bay's kids-eat-free offer

Prezzo Italian, The Brewery Quarter

Deal: Kids eat FREE with Prezzo Kids Club membership

This one's a little different because there's a membership involved.

Prezzo's Kids Club costs £1.99 a month and allows up to three children aged 2 to 12 to enjoy a free three-course kids' meal when an adult orders a full-price main.

The offer is available every day, once per day, subject to the membership terms.

For families who visit Prezzo regularly, the monthly fee could pay for itself pretty quickly. Less useful if you're only going once, of course.

When: Every day
Age: 2 to 12 years
Conditions: £1.99 monthly membership and a full-price adult main

Find out about Prezzo Kids Club

Cheap kids' meals at supermarket cafés

Sometimes you don't need a full restaurant outing. You just need to feed everyone without spending £40 or dealing with the washing-up.

These supermarket and shop cafés can be particularly handy when you're already out running errands.

Morrisons Café, Up Hatherley

Deal: Kids eat FREE with an adult main meal costing £5 or more

Morrisons offers one free kids' meal and drink when an adult buys a qualifying main meal costing at least £5.

It's available every day, making it one of the more flexible options on the list.

When: Every day
Conditions: Adult main meal costing £5 or more

Check Morrisons' kids-eat-free terms

Pausa Café at Dunelm, Tewkesbury Road

Deal: FREE kids' mini meal with a £5 spend

The Pausa café inside Dunelm offers a free kids' mini meal when you spend £5.

The mini meal includes a main, a drink and two snacks, which makes this a practical option for younger children.

It's worth noting that the qualifying spend is now £5, rather than the £4 mentioned in some older listings.

Conditions: £5 qualifying spend

See Dunelm's Pausa café information

Asda Café, Cheltenham

Deal: Kids eat for £1

Asda's £1 kids' meal deal is one of the simplest budget options because you don't need to buy an adult meal to qualify.

That's especially useful if you're feeding the children but don't want a meal yourself.

When: Every day
Conditions: No adult meal purchase required

Check Asda's latest café offers

Cheap and free kids' breakfasts

Breakfast out can be a surprisingly good-value family treat, particularly when the kids have been awake since a time no reasonable person considers morning.

Premier Inn

Deal: Up to two children under 16 eat breakfast FREE with a paying adult

Premier Inn allows up to two children under 16 to enjoy a free breakfast when an adult purchases a qualifying breakfast.

You don't necessarily have to be staying overnight to consider a hotel breakfast, but check whether your chosen restaurant accepts non-resident diners before making plans.

Age: Under 16s
Conditions: Paying adult breakfast required

Check Premier Inn's breakfast terms

Travelodge, Cheltenham

Deal: Kids' breakfasts for £1

At participating Travelodge Bar Cafés, up to two children under 15 can have breakfast for £1 each when an adult buys breakfast.

Cheltenham's Travelodge is opposite The Brewery Quarter, making it a central option if the local Bar Café is offering the deal.

Age: Under 15s
Conditions: Paying adult breakfast and participating Bar Café required

See Travelodge's restaurant offers

Other year-round family food deals worth knowing about

These are national offers rather than confirmed deals at individual Cheltenham venues, but they're worth remembering for family days out further afield.

Brewers Fayre

Deal: Up to two kids eat breakfast FREE with a paying adult

Up to two children under 16 can enjoy a free breakfast with each adult unlimited breakfast purchased.

Check Brewers Fayre's breakfast deal

IKEA

Deal: Kids' meals from 95p

If you're heading to IKEA, its restaurant offers budget children's food, including a pasta meal with fruit and a drink from 95p.

Probably not worth a special journey just for lunch, but very handy if you're already there and someone's decided furniture shopping is hungry work.

See IKEA's food offers

Sainsbury's Cafés

Deal: Kids' meals advertised at £1 with a qualifying adult hot meal

Sainsbury's has previously advertised a £1 kids' meal with an adult hot meal costing at least £5.20, from 11.30am.

This is one to check carefully before relying on it, as café participation and the current offer haven't been confirmed.

Which Cheltenham kids' meal deals are best?

For a quick, cheap lunch, Asda's £1 kids' meal is hard to argue with, particularly because you don't need to buy an adult meal.

If you're feeding more than one child, Circo Brasserie's offer of up to two free children's mains and Prezzo's Kids Club are worth a closer look.

For an early tea after school, Cantina del Barrio and The Beefy Boys both have weekday deals that could save a decent chunk of the bill.

And if you're out shopping, Morrisons and Pausa at Dunelm are useful options to have up your sleeve.

A few things to check before you go

Kids-eat-free offers can change, sometimes with very little warning. Before promising the children a meal out, it's worth checking:

• Whether the deal is available on the day you're visiting

• The children's age limit

• Whether you need to buy an adult main meal

• Whether the offer covers a full kids' meal or just a main course

• Whether booking, membership or a voucher is required

• Whether the offer can be combined with other discounts

We'll keep adding to this guide as we find more useful year-round deals in and around Cheltenham.

For more ideas that won't empty your wallet, take a look at our free and budget-friendly things to do in Cheltenham