Latest crowdfunded restaurant set to open

Gary Usher’s fifth restaurant, Pinion, is set to open in Prescot on Friday, September 28, following a record-breaking crowdfunding campaign which raised £50,000 in less than an hour.

The opening comes just three months after chef entrepreneur Gary and his team launched their fourth crowdfunding campaign.

His bistro will open on Prescot’s high street, following a ticketed launch party on Saturday, September 22.

Gary was attracted to Prescot through local council initiatives to raise the profile of Prescot and regenerate the high street.

Pinion, named as a nod to the town’s watchmaking history, is the fifth restaurant in the ‘Elite Bistro’s of the World’ group and will feature the other restaurants’ signature ‘laid back, bistro style’.

Open Wednesday-Sunday, the bistro will serve a lunch and early evening menu, as well as an A la Carte from 6pm and a Sunday lunch menu.

The menus include dishes such as chicken liver pate, battered haddock and chips, whole Camembert, braised featherblade of beef, sea bream fillet, butternut squash and mozzarella arancini, dark chocolate mousse with crushed honeycomb, and steamed lemon suet sponge.

Gary said: “It has been a long time coming but we’re finally ready to open Pinion.

“I’m so excited to be bringing this little bistro to Prescot because the people we’ve met along the way have been incredible and their support unbelievable.

“There’s something exciting happening in Prescot at the minute and we’re just really enjoying being a part of it.”

The restaurant will see a sold-out launch event take place on Saturday, September 22, where tickets were available to purchase during the crowdfunding.

Around £16,000 was raised in the first 15 minutes of the Kickstarter campaign, with more than 200 backers.

By the first 30 minutes the figure had reached £31,405, and by 10pm the full £50,000 had been achieved.