Diners at a Perthshire hotel are being offered the chance to eat for free by flipping a coin at the end of their meal.
Punters at the Meikleour Hotel can eat their fill then call heads or tails for the chance to walk away without paying.
‘Toss Up Tuesdays’ were dreamed up by hotel owner Kia Mathieson to boost trade on a slow night of the week. When the bill comes, customers whose coin comes up heads pay the bill, while lucky tails means a free meal.
Kia said: ”It’s something that I saw south of the border but, as far as I know, we’re the only people to be doing it in Scotland.
”Business on a Tuesday at this time of the year is always quieter and you need to identify something different from anyone else so I thought: Let’s see if it works.”
She added: ”Word of mouth is seeing it start to spread and I will carry it on as long as it is getting people through the doors.”
The only conditions are that diners have to have booked a table and the deal only applies to food. Each person at the table flips for their own meal, which comes from a special menu.
Kia said: ”People are sceptical because they think there must be a catch but there is absolutely no catch at all. The worst that can happen is you need to pay for a meal you would have paid for anyway.”
She added: ”You can use your own coin although we do ask that goes to a charity box or select one from the till. It’s all completely fair and open.
”We’ve had about 50 or 60 people try it so far and it’s about 50/50 so no one is losing out too heavily. It’s a great fun way to end a meal.”
Kia said there is a serious side to the initiative, as economic woes bite into budgets.
She said: ”Go to any hotel or restaurant at the moment and you will find they are struggling because when money is tight, the first thing people cut back on is meals out and holidays.
”It’s all about getting people through the doors at this time of year. You have to think outside the box and come up with something to make you stand out from the rest.”
After filing his report, Alan Richardson decided it was only fair to have a go himself. Here’s how he fared:
They say there’s no such thing as a free meal but I’m willing to take my chances as I make my way to the Meikleour Hotel, driven by an all-too-rare opportunity to dine for free.
Owner Kia explains the rules as I settle in one lucky toss of the coin at the end of the meal can gain me a £20 meal, not including drinks, for absolutely nothing.
The catch? There isn’t one I can even use my own coin so I merrily tuck into soup and a steak.
Even as I polish off the last of my dessert, my heart is beating that little bit faster the moment of truth approaches, along with my bill.
I choose to use my own £2 coin which will go to charity either way rather than one from the till and, with one flick of the finger, my fate is decided.
It’s tails, I win; heads and my wallet is £20 lighter.
And tails it is! But Kia takes it in good grace and, with a promise to return soon, I make my escape.
It was a meal I would have gladly paid for but to see the bill whipped away with barely a dent in my finances made it taste that bit better.