Celebrity chef Gary Usher has announced the closure of one his award-winning restaurants.
He’s shared today that Burnt Truffle, part of his Elite Bistros enterprise and the restaurant that launched his Crowdfunding business model, has ‘closed for good’.
The acclaimed restaurant opened almost a decade ago, with hundreds of prospective customers investing in the business in exchange for vouchers to spend when the doors opened.
Following the success of that, Gary Usher went on to run Kickstarters for several other restaurants, including Kala in Manchester city centre and Hispi in Didsbury.
The group’s most recent opening was The White Horse in 2023, its first venture into the world of pubs.
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Elite Bistros has been a rare example of a neighbourhood restaurant that’s managed to weather the sh*tstorm of rising costs that has hit hospitality since 2020 – until now.
Burnt Truffle has closed with immediate effect, with Usher saying he’s ‘never been able to make it work here’.
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He stressed that all suppliers, VAT and rent is paid, that the staff who have sadly been made redundant have also been paid, and that anyone with vouchers to spend can do so at the remaining Elite Bistros sites.
Gary Usher announcing the closure of Burnt Truffle today. Credit: X, GaryUsher_Burnt Truffle has closed with immediate effect. Instagram, @burnt_truffle
He said: “I need to share some news with you and unfortunately it’s not great news. I’m sat here in Burnt Truffle and we are now closed. We’re closed for good.
“I had a 10 year lease and that lease has come to an end. I could have renewed that lease but the honest truth is I’ve never been able to make it work here.
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“I’ve been quite vocal about how difficult the government have made it over the last few years, but ultimately I’ve never been able to make it work here, so the best business decision for us is to close.”
Some news.@BuRntTruffle is now closed. Thank you to all the team & all the guests over the last 10 years. Our lease has come to an end & we have decided to part ways. All our bills are paid & all vouchers will be redeemed. From all of us at Burnt Truffle, Thank you & good night. pic.twitter.com/r9eisksJwb
He continued: “It’s a sad day, it really is. You know, when I think back to when we opened here, we had the likes of Jay Rayner and Lisa Markwell coming, and we got two rosettes quite quickly too.
“We were the first crowdfunded restaurant in the UK with non-investment crowdfunding. So that started our journey with crowdfunding, actually.
“So what does it mean for the business moving forward? Well, we carry on. We just keep going, we keep trying, and we keep innovating to get through these tough times. And, and that’s it really.
“Thank you to everyone that came, thank you to all the team. Thanks to all the guests. We’ve loved being in Heswall. We’ve loved being in Burnt Truffle, but that’s the end.”
adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal
Daisy Jackson
Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to reward themselves with free Nell’s pizza this weekend, thanks to a collaboration with adidas and JD.
The sportswear giants will be teaming up with one of the city’s top pizza spots to hand out the ultimate post-race reward at Kampus this Sunday.
It’s all to celebrate the launch of the new adidas EVO SL ATRs, a shoe that’s built with running miles in mind.
And there’ll be a chance to grab an exclusive t-shirt too, and have your official marathon finish time branded on-site.
adidas and JD are giving away FREE Nell’s pizza with a Manchester Marathon medal / Credit: Supplied
As well as a free slice of Nell’s famous New York-style pizza and a drink, Manchester Marathon finishers will be able to enter into a range of giveaways, with prizes including the EVO SL ART, adidas merch, and range of other prizes.
And you’ll be recovering with a slice in hand and a live DJ keeping the post-race energy high
All you need to do is show your Manchester Marathon medal at Nell’s at Kampus, to grab your free slice, and check out adidas and JD’s latest drop.
Friends and family are encouraged to join too – after all, all runners know a marathon isn’t possible without that support crew.
There are also a bunch of giveaways and more to look forward to / Credit: Supplied
Pizza slices will be handed out on a first-come, first-serve basis, so make sure your sprint to Nell’s is your fastest yet.
Thankfully, the adidas EVO SL’s are built for speed…
adidas x JD x Nell’s – Manchester Marathon event
Taking place on Sunday 19 April, from 12pm to 8pm
Free pizza slice and a drink when you show your Manchester Marathon medal (while stocks last)
Exclusive merch and great prize giveaways from adidas and JD
Plus photo moments, live DJs, and more
Find it at The Bungalow, Kampus, M1 3GL (next to Nell’s)
Sacha Lord set to back local hospitality again with money behind the bar of one Greater Manchester pub
Danny Jones
Local figure Sacha Lord is once again looking to help support Greater Manchester’s food and drink scene once again this spring by putting a total of £2.5k behind the bar of one lucky pub.
Well, let’s be honest, we’re about to be the real lucky ones.
It’s far from the first time that the Night Time Economy Advisor has done this, having previously put sizeable sums towards shared tabs on a few ocassions over the last few years.
Lining up his next handout for this coming early May bank holiday (perfect timing), it’s going to be a super and potentially very sloppy Sunday…
Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester.
Bank Holiday Sunday 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.
Sharing the video above online earlier this week, the 54-year-old simply wrote, “Tell me your favourite pub in Greater Manchester. Bank Holiday Sunday, 3rd May, I’ll be turning up and putting £2500 behind the bar.”
The message is as straightforward as ever: “Support your local pub.”
Now obviously, the fact that people can reply with their go-to boozers and help influence the decision is one thing – something that has certainly always created an attraction each time he’s done this – but it’s also just a good way of marketing these watering holes to begin with.
Whether or not someone’s favourite public house tucked away in one of the 10 boroughs, or their bar of choice here in Manchester city centre, ends up being selected or not, it’s obviously great publicity having their names plastered on a notable social media account.
This is especially so when you see how much the post itself ends up being reshared and the overall exposure Lord ultimately lends them via creating such a big crowd discussion.
Here’s hoping we get proper beer garden weather over that long weekend.
It’s also worth noting that the further support stunts like this have helped garner support for other regional businesses – in particular, indies that are battling the cost of living crisis and so many other challenges within the sector – has proved crucial for some places to stay open to begin with.
A good example is the Thirsty Korean, who teamed up with the Altrincham-born entrepreneur to cover hundreds of bills back in 2023, and has now been able to expand into a larger venue down the road from their original Chorlton location.
The obstacles facing the hospitality industry remain varied and numerous, but gestures like this can go a long way to helping prop up those who need it.
Daisy Jackson -
8th January 2025 
