Matt Gillan to crowdfund £80,000 for Brighton restaurant
Chef Matt Gillan has launched a Kickstarter campaign to raise funds to open the Red Roaster coffee house in Brighton.
The project will run until 10.14pm on 6 March. Gillan will only receive the funds if he reaches £80,000 or more by the specified date.
Gillan is offering rewards for those that pledge including the Herder story book that accompanied his winning main course on Great British Menu 2015, a coffee lovers' pack, an exclusive Pike & Pine apron and a variety of dining options.
So far, 17 people have backed the chef, pledging £1,320 in the first day.
Gillan left his previous job at the Michelin-starred restaurant the Pass at the South Lodge hotel, near Horsham, West Sussex in April 2016.
Following a series of pop-ups, Gillan acquired the Red Roaster speciality coffee house "to bring Red Roaster back to the forefront of people's minds whilst retaining the connection to the community."
In the evening, the coffee house will transform into the Pike & Pine restaurant, offering dishes made with local produce.
With the aim of creating an indoor garden housed within a large atrium, Gillan is looking to secure the garden space next to the restaurant, on St James's Street to "to create an unprecedented outdoor area within the city."
At one end of the garden will be the restaurant, while a garden bar and dining area will be at the other.
In a statement on the Kickstarter website, Gillan said: "The funds won't cover the whole cost of the project but will enable us to start the process of acquiring and purchasing the additional garden space and starting work in our existing garden."
The money raised will also go towards the refurbishment of the Roastery, located a mile from the Red Roaster.
Improvements include an automated bagging machine, which will allow the team to offer coffee to a larger customer base. The team currently roasts 150-200kg of coffee per week.
Eventually, customers will also be able to visit the Roastery to spend time with Gillan and learn about coffee in a relaxed environment.
Gillan said: "With the first phase of our build project, we've encountered all sorts of issues. Consequently, this has had an impact on our reopening time and elements of the project, like the garden.
"Our greatest risk is not achieving our target and not being able to complete the vision we set out with. It reduces our ability to offer our product to the number of people we budgeted for, meaning that the work so far, may all be in vein."
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