Chef and restaurateur Gary Usher warns he may be forced to close his award-winning Wirral restaurant if more diners don’t come through the door. Tony McDonough reports

Leading North West chef and restaurateur Gary Usher says his award-winning Burnt Truffle restaurant in Wirral may have to close if it doesn’t see an increase in diners.

Gary, has opened a number of restaurants in Merseyside and Cheshire via crowdfunding campaigns. Burnt Truffle in Telegraph Road in Heswall was his second venue, and his first opened using crowdfunding. He raised £100,000.

Since opening in 2015 the bistro has earned a reputation for great food and service and has been awarded two AA Rosettes. However, in an indication of the huge cost pressures facing the hospitality sector, Gary admits keeping it going is a struggle.

In mid November, Red & Blue Restaurants, owned by local entrepreneurs Paddy Smith and Jonathan Poole, closed Bouchon in Liverpool city centre. They blamed “robber baron” energy firms, in part, for the decision.

Posting on social media site X (formerly Twitter) on Wednesday evening, Gary said: “Feel daft putting something so serious in a post… Unless people start using Burnt Truffle I will have to close it.

“If you’re in Heswall or Wirral in general please spread the word. I’m tired of doing videos full of doom and gloom but this is the reality.

“We’ve been open in Heswall nearly 10 years. The kitchen has been awarded two AA Rosettes and I don’t think the food has ever been so good.

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“We also do a simple great value menu with beef ragu rigatoni and relatable things. We’ve just had a full set of new furniture. We still love Burnt.

“If it’s not to be it’s not to be and we will never give up but if people don’t come it obviously doesn’t work. Appreciate this looks desperate and perhaps a bit needy but we just aren’t getting enough people in to cover the costs of being open.

“If you would be upset if Burnt Truffle closed please help us spread the word we are still open & bloody good at what we do. Thank you.”