Musician YolanDa Brown has broken global fundraising records on Kickstarter to launch a new restaurant and music venue in Islington. Soul Mama is set to open this autumn with a menu inspired by recipes handed down through generations of mothers across the Caribbean, Africa and South America. Launched in partnership with her manager Adetokunbo ‘T’ […]

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Three high-profile but very different London dining destinations whose futures have all been in doubt are set to reopen in the next few weeks: Soho’s historic L’Escargot, smart Islington brasserie Bellanger, and Clapton’s funky wine bar P Franco. L’Escargot in Greek Street, the city’s oldest French restaurant (est. 1927), is to open on Wednesday 24 […]

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An independent restaurant faces closure after losing £50,000 in a bank account scam. Natalia Ribbe and Jackson Berg of Barletta, at the Turner Contemporary Gallery in Margate, say they have been “totally crippled” by the fraud. A friend has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help keep them in business. Natalia noticed suspicious activity in their […]

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Chef/entrepreneur Gary Usher of Cheshire-based Elite Bistros is launching another crowdfunding campaign next week – after admitting defeat in his most ambitious fundraiser yet, an attempt to sell shares in the company to help bankroll a suite of projects. Gary will return to familiar – and highly successful – ground in next week’s new launch, aimed at raising […]

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Gary Usher, the king of Kickstarter chefs, is chasing his third round of crowdfunding to launch the fourth restaurant of his northwestern empire – with fellow chefs led by Tom Kerridge (pictured) rallying to help. Usher needs pledges totalling £200,000 – significantly more than in his first two campaigns – by June 8 in order to proceed with his planned restaurant Wreckfish in Liverpool. […]

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