A chef is offering the possibility for people to fulfil their dream and partly own what promises to be one of the most talked about restaurants in the world. Nuno Mendes is a chef who is loved by his peers. What he is attempting to do is completely new.
As he himself says in a video to promote a crowd funding campaign to fund his new restaurant, there has never been a restaurant with this kind of ambition to reach out to its public, audience and friends for support.
The Portuguese born chef says “I believe what we are doing is ground breaking. This is a chance for people to participate in something that they can be proud of and that will add culture and creativity to the London restaurant scene.”
Mendes says that crowdfunding will allow him to fulfil his vision of making the new Viajante one of the best restaurants in the world.
He has been endorsed this morning by one of the world’s best chefs René Redzepi who said on his twitter feed that this was one of the coolest ways to be involved in a restaurant that he has ever seen.
And Virgilio Martinez, chef of Central in Peru said that it is great not only for London but also for the whole community of chefs and people in gastronomy that Viajante will be back.
Mendes founded many restaurants in London which have taken inspiration from his home country Portugal as well as his extensive experiences abroad in North America, Latin America, Asia and Europe including working at seminal restaurants like Jean-Georges Vongerichten and El Bulli
Mendes is known in the foodie circuit for the Loft Project in east London where he pioneered tasting menus and unearthed young talent. That was followed by Viajante where he got his first Michelin star six months after the restaurant opening. He then opened Chiltern Firehouse in central London as well as Taberna do Mercado.
Mendes says that Viajante, the name of the restaurant he intends to re-open means traveller in Portuguese and is also his nickname. “Closing Viajante has been one of the hardest, actually the hardest thing I have ever done in my career,” he said.
But now he has found a place in London which he describes as one of the most beautiful places that he has come across in England’s capital. “It is an extremely exciting moment for my career. For many years, I have wanted to create this magical restaurant where guests will be taken on a journey, where they will arrive from the river and their first point of contact with the restaurant will be the kitchen.”
So far, Mendes has already collected £201,640 or 12 per cent of the £1,750,000 he is seeking for a 33% stake in the restaurant. This is the first opportunity for anyone who has always dreamed of owning a restaurant to contribute and have a share in what promises to be a ground breaking project.
For more information you can visit the website or watch the video below.
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