Leading chef and restaurateur Gary Usher closes 10-year-old Wirral restaurant just over a year after issuing a ‘use us or lose us’ plea to diners. Tony McDonough reports

Wirral restaurant Burnt Truffle has closed its doors for good just over a year after its owner issued a “use us or lose us” plea to diners.

Leading North West chef and restaurateur Gary Usher announced the closure of the venue in Telegraph Road in Heswall on the ‘X’ social media platform on Wednesday afternoon. Burnt Truffle staff have been made redundant.

In late November 2023 Gary, who operates a number of other restaurants in Merseyside and Cheshire, warned Burnt Truffle would have to close if it didn’t see an increase in customers.

Opening in 2015, this outlet was his second restaurant and the first he opened using crowdfunding, raising £100,000. He has since gone on to use the same funding model at other locations including Pinion in Prescot.

In a video posted on X, Gary said: “I am sat here in Burnt Truffle and we are now closed for good. I had a 10-year lease and that has come to an end. I could have renewed it but the honest truth is I’ve never been able to make it work here.

“I have been quite vocal about how difficult the Government has made it over the last few years but ultimately the best business decision for us is to close.”

Gary added that anyone who had bought vouchers for Burnt Truffle could redeem them at other Elite Bistros venues. The business operates five restaurants, a pub and a bakery. Those venues include Wreck in Liverpool city centre and Sticky Walnut in Chester.

“If you are not happy with that I will redeem your voucher,” he said. “We have paid all our bills, including VAT, suppliers and rent. We have unfortunately had to make people redundant and they have been paid.”

Since opening in 2015 the bistro has earned a reputation for great food and service and has been awarded two AA Rosettes.

“It is a sad day,” added Gary. “We were the first crowdfunded restaurant in the UK with non-investment crowdfunding. That started our journey with crowdfunding.

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“So what does it mean for the rest of the business? We keep going, we keep trying and we keep innovating to get through these tough times. Thank you to everyone that came, thank you to the team. We have loved being in Heswall… but that is the end.”

The news about Burnt Truffle comes just days after the closure of another Wirral restaurant. The West Kirby branch of Leaf – the Black Horse Hill tea bar and restaurant- which opened in 2020 and employed around 20 staff, closed last week.”