South: Chef uses crowdfunding to finance British food expansion
British chef Harvey Trollope wants to showcase British food and help it find its rightful place on the London food map. Cue his new restaurant concept - Harvey’s British Eatery – focusing on good quality British cooking without the frills. Menus are inspired by forgotten recipes from our rich heritage and making the most of the amazing range of seasonal produce the British Isles has to offer.
Trollope is raising finance through crowd funding. He has a target of £555,000 and his five-year exit plan includes opening three successful restaurants. A total of 128 investors have signed up so far, and £173,350 has been raised through Crowdcube, which is backed by Balderton Capital.
Ahead of Harvey’s British Eatery opening its first restaurant in central London, readers can experience his signature cooking ‘putting passion to plate’ at an exclusive pop-up event at Jerwood Space, SE1 London on Saturday March 24. Price is £30 per head for lunch or dinner excluding beverages.
For details, view here: https://www.harveysbritisheatery.com/next-pop-up/
Trollope’s fascination with food started at the age of 16; the discipline, pressure to produce dishes in a short amount of time and creative process led him to pursue his passion, first training as a commis chef alongside a BA in Fine Art. After graduating, he left London to perfect his skills in the food capitals of France and Italy.
During his seven years in Europe, he trained with chefs at notable two Michelin-starred restaurants including Le Palme D’or in Cannes, Leon de Lyon and Le Mére Brazier. Living abroad, Trollope was awakened to a food culture that he had not really encountered in the UK. One that makes local cuisine accessible; where anyone can step into a neighbourhood restaurant and order the dish of the day, made with seasonal and local produce, simple and delicious, at an affordable price.
With a vision to develop Harvey’s British Eatery one day, he returned to London as sous-chef at Wheeler’s of St James, working with legendary chef Marco Pierre White and then premier sous chef, working with John Williams at British institution The Ritz. Other accomplishments include private chef commissions at Necker Island.