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Cookstarter, a new campaign to support the struggling independent restaurant sector through the coronavirus pandemic has been launched by recipe box firm Gousto.
Along with chef Gizzi Erskine, fitness and food ambassador Joe Wicks and comedian Katherine Ryan, Gousto are asking the British public to nominate their favourite independent eateries before the 7th February closing date.
Five independent restaurants will be chosen to receive £10k worth of funding each, as well as a year of business coaching including finance, HR, marketing and product development. Expert advice will come from a dedicated Board of Mentors put together by Gousto CEO and co-founder Timo Boldt.
Alongside the support programme, Gousto will create new recipes in collaboration with the winning restaurants for customers to enjoy at home. When ordering a Cookstarter recipe, Gousto subscribers will be able to tip the restaurant through the online tipping platform TiPJAR.
The campaign comes as research commissioned by Gousto revealed that 90% of restaurants have faced the risk of permanent closure at some point during the pandemic. 70% of people surveyed fear the variety of Britain’s food scene is under threat as a result.
Gousto CEO and founder, Timo Boldt said: “We believe variety really matters to the world and independent restaurants are crucial to maintaining this diversity, variety, and vibrancy in Britain’s food culture. But, the pandemic has dealt them a huge blow. Every restaurant that is unable to reopen represents not only a loss of livelihood for workers but also a reduction in the diversity and vibrancy of the UK’s food culture that we’re proud to be part of. As a business, we are fortunate to be in a position to be able to lend our time, expertise, and resources to others in the food industry to ensure we can all come out of this period stronger than ever.”
Chef and restaurateur Gizzi Erskine said: “For so many of us, the joy of dining is all about discovering new foods. We’re lucky in the UK to have such a diverse food scene but this is at risk with independent restaurants having been hit hard in the past year. Diversity is at the heart of Britain, and our food culture is a huge part of that. It’s essential we pull together, show our support and stand up for the foodie gems that make this country so unique.”
Kathryn Huxtable, director of food at Gousto said: “One of the best things about the UK is the variety, diversity and vibrancy of our amazing food culture and it’s so important that we rally together to preserve it. We want mealtimes to be full of adventure and discovery, which is why we want to play our part to ensure independent restaurants can survive and thrive through these troubled times.”
