If you’d told me 20 years ago that a little idea about saving money on meals out would one day grow into something used by millions of people - I probably wouldn’t have believed you. In 2005, I launched tastelondon with little more than a notepad, a vision, and a lot of energy. The goal was simple: make dining out more accessible for more people, and support restaurants by putting bums on seats during quieter times. I spent those early days walking the streets of London, going door-to-door, trying to convince restaurants to give this strange new discount card a try. It wasn’t easy. But bit by bit, it grew. We rebranded as tastecard, took the idea national, and what followed has been nothing short of incredible.
Matt Turner
13-05-2025
From one idea to a national movement
tastecard has come a long way from the days of plastic cards and local restaurants. Today, over 4 million members use our products to enjoy meals, coffee, cinema trips and days out - saving money while making memories. We’ve partnered with 10,000+ venues, from big names like PizzaExpress, Zizzi and Caffè Nero to the local independents that give our high streets heart.
Over the last 20 years, our members have saved more than £1 billion in our partner restaurants - a figure I never could’ve imagined back in those early days.
But beyond the numbers, what’s always meant the most is hearing how people use tastecard. First dates. Birthday dinners. Friday night pizza with the kids. It’s those real, human moments that keep us going.
The B2B turning point
A major turning point came in 2010, when we signed our first big brand deal with Carphone Warehouse, purchasing 1 million tastecards for their loyal customers. That opened our eyes to the potential of tastecard not just as a consumer product, but as something that could drive real engagement and loyalty for businesses.
Soon after, we launched a long-standing partnership with NatWest and RBS, and later with Lloyds, where tastecard became one of the lifestyle benefits available through their Club Lloyds account. To this day, it’s still their most redeemed benefit.
Since then, we’ve gone on to work with hundreds of brands - from Compare the Market, Vodafone and Equifax, to Boots, the BBC, and easyJet - helping them reward customers and employees with meaningful, everyday savings.
Built on trust, grown through partnerships
Everything we’ve built has come from listening - to our partners, our members, and our teams. We’ve stayed nimble, grown our products (including Gourmet Society and Coffee Club), and evolved from a pure B2C product to one that now serves businesses, employees and consumers alike.
And while we’ve always been about savings, what we really care about is value. Value for our members. Value for our partners. Value for the brands we work with.
What’s next?
As part of Ello Group our mission is simple: to help brands create more rewarding relationships with their customers and colleagues. We’re using everything we’ve learned to build loyalty products that genuinely work - backed by data, powered by partnerships, and designed to deliver for real people.
It hasn’t always been easy - building a business never is. But through every high and low, tastecard has been a constant: a small idea that grew into something far bigger than I could have imagined, thanks to the belief, support, and grit of the people around me.
To everyone who’s supported tastecard over the past 20 years - our members, our restaurant partners, our incredible team, and our B2B and employee benefits clients - thank you.
Here’s to the meals we’ve shared, the memories we’ve made, and the journey still to come.
Matt Turner
Founder, tastecard
CEO, Ello Group
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