Celebrating your birthday in the capital can be costly, but some Londoners are completely unaware of just how generous the city is when it comes to freebies for your special day. A number of high street shops, including your favourite cafes, restaurants and bakeries have some incredible gifts on offer to make your big day extra special.
We've complied a list of all the top places to tour on your birthday, so that you can reap all of the benefits and save some cash while you're at it.
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Lola's: Free full 5-inch cake
If you manage to track down a Lola’s Cupcakes on your birthday, you can walk away with a 5-inch birthday cake completely free of charge. You’ll just need to have a valid form of ID that confirms your date of birth and be a member of Lola’s “love club” for at least 30 days before you claim your freebie.
The “love club” is a loyalty scheme where for every £1 you spend in-store, you get a ‘love point’. Shoppers are encouraged to sign up to the scheme beforehand in order to benefit. It should also be noted that this offer is not available in London Selfridges.
Costa: Free slice of cake or sweet treat
Getting a free slice of cake at Costa is a fairly simple process. You’ll just need to have the Costa app downloaded and enter your date of birth. When the day arrives, a reward should show up in the “rewards” section of the app, which you can use to bag any cake of your choice. One you open your rewards, a QR code will appear on screen for you to scan at the till.
Chopstix: Free Meal
Chopstix is quite generously giving away free boxes of food to anyone on their birthday. All you’ll need is a valid form of ID and to head over to one of Chopstix’s noodle bars in London. You'll have the option to choose between any base and topping to fully personalise your free noodle box. And if you don't have the time to visit right away, you'll even be able to claim your freebie for up to seven days after your birthday.
Greggs: Free sweet treat or drink
At Greggs, you can either get your hands on a free sweet treat of your choice like a doughnut or cookie, or a free drink. Just download the Greggs app and head over to the tills.
Krispy Kreme: Free doughnut
The process for a free Krispy Kreme doughnut is very similar to one at Greggs. You'll just need to have the Krispy Kreme rewards app downloaded and to register for the loyalty scheme to bag any donut of your choice.
Boost: Any free drink
Drinks at Boost can be costly, but not on your birthday, as you won’t have to pay a penny. To claim it, you’ll need to be a member of Boost’s loyalty scheme “VIBE”, where points are awarded to customers purchasing full priced smoothies, crushes or freshly squeezed juice products. VIBE Members are entitled to a free Birthday Boost on the day of their birthday, 3 days prior or 3 days after. All you need is a valid form of ID confirming your birth date to show at the till.
Tortilla: Free burrito
At Tortilla, you can get an entire meal in the form of a birthday burrito - but just like many other restaurants in London, you’ll need to be a club member. Tortillas loyalty club allows you to collect stamps and earn rewards each time you visit. On your birthday, you can get an entire burrito free of charge, but Tortilla recommends opting into their marketing emails so that you’re reminded on time.
Hotel chocolate: £5 voucher
To claim a £5 Hotel Chocolat voucher, simply visit their website and enter your date of birth in the “birthday rewards” section. You’ll be issued a voucher code which will go directly to your email. The offer is valid for 30 days from the date you receive the email, so you’ll have plenty of time to spend your free cash!
The Body Shop £5 voucher
If you've provided your birthdate to the The Body Shop, you'll receive a £5 reward voucher in your emails on your birthday. You can spend it in-store or online on anything you like. Shoppers should keep in mind that their birthday vouchers will be valid for 30 days from the date of issue, and if you're shopping online, you can head over to the 'Use My Rewards' section of the payment page during checkout.
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