Restaurant Crowdfunding campaign to raise £50k in 24 hours

An ambitious restaurant crowdfunding campaign to raise £50,000 in 24 hours will get underway later this month.

Chef Gary Usher, who previously raised more than £200,000 for his Wreckfish venue in Liverpool city centre, is looking to generate the cash for his fifth venture in Prescot.

At 7pm on 29 May Gary and his team will get the Kickstarter initiative underway to secure funds for Pinion, which plans to serve bistro dishes such as beef braise with truffle and parmesan chips and a classic tart for dessert.

Ahead of the campaign to raise the bumper amount, Gary said: “Prescot has an incredible sense of community with some amazing people who are so proud of where they come from. It’s been through some hard times but with plans to regenerate the area, myself and the team are hoping to bring a really great little bistro to Prescot and be part of something bigger than just a business.

“Why 24 hours? It seems crazy, but because the building is completely empty, we really need to get going so it’s open for the summer.

“We’ve also totally changed how we’re approaching this Kickstarter campaign. I think there should be complete transparency in crowdfunding, which is why we’ll be offering monetary pledges this time around, instead of meal vouchers. It means that your 50 quid pledge, will be exactly 50 quid in the restaurant. We’re also making sure everyone gets their vouchers in less than a week, just like any normal voucher purchase.”

Like the other restaurants in the Elite Bistro’s group, Pinion will serve freshly baked bread and humble, bistro dishes, such as a beef braise with truffle and parmesan chips and a classic tart for dessert.

The entrepreneurial chef, whose other restaurants include Sticky Walnut in Chester, Burnt Truffle in Heswall and Hispi in Manchester, says supporters will be rewarded for their pledges with money to spend in the new restaurant once it’s open.

Gary’s Wreckfish crowdfunder in May 2017 attracted support from 1,522 backers, and broke the record for the most money raised for a restaurant in a UK crowdfunding campaign.