WHAT a busy man Gary Usher is. In a week when the Hispi chef/patron has been shortlisted for ‘Chef of the Year ’ in the Estrella Damm National Restaurant Awards 2018 comes confirmation that Kala, the sixth bistro in his burgeoning North West empire, will be on King Street in Manchester city centre.
Via Twitter he has predicted it will be up and running by September 24 and will NOT be funded by his favoured Kickstarter method. His other concurrent North West project WILL.
In a daring deviation from his previous crowdfunding campaigns, he will attempt to raise £50,000 for Pinion at Prescot, near Liverpool, inside 24 hours. That bid will launch at 7pm on May 29.
The Estrella Damm gong is to salute a chef who has had an impact on the food and drink industry in the past 12 months and fellow contenders are the starry likes of Tom Kerridge, Simon Rogan, Andrew Wong, Gareth Ward and Nieves Barragan.
The awards are based on the votes of 180 industry experts, including chefs, food writers and restaurateurs, with the shortlist compiled by the National Restaurant Awards academy voters.
It is amazing recognition for the four bistros Usher has created, helped by intense crowdfunding, in the North West – the latest, Wreckfish (Liverpool), Sticky Walnut (Chester), Burnt Truffle (Heswall) and our own Hispi in Didsbury. They have featured strongly in the Estrella damm Top 100 restaurants.
Recognition of Hispi/s achievement is evident after the kitchen team’s upcoming Guest Chef slot at the Real Junk Food Project Manchester restaurant on May 9 swiftly sold out.