Hospitality group Elite Bistros has announced the closure of its Wirral-based restaurant Burnt Truffle after ten years of trading.  

The establishment was the first crowdfunded restaurant in the UK, as reported by The Caterer.  

Launched in July 2015 through a successful Kickstarter campaign, Burnt Truffle won two AA rosettes in 2019. 

The restaurant's closure was confirmed by Elite Bistros' owner and chef Gary Usher.  

Usher posted the closure news in a video on X: “I’m sat here in Burnt Truffle and we are now closed, closed for good. We had a ten-year lease and that’s come to an end. The honest truth is I’ve never been able to make it work here and I have been quite vocal about how difficult the government has made it. The best decision for us is to close, so we’re closing from today.” 

He reassured patrons that any outstanding vouchers could be redeemed at the group’s other locations.  

Elite Bistros continues to run five successful restaurants: Hispi in Didsbury, Sticky Walnut in Hoole, Wreckfish in Liverpool, Kala in Manchester and Pinion in Prescot. 

Burnt Truffle's journey began with a community-backed initiative that resonated with almost 900 backers on Kickstarter.  

Its concept and execution earned it praise from critics such as the Observer’s Jay Rayner, who lauded it as “the model of the neighbourhood bistro that punches well above its weight - the sort of place that you want on your doorstep, or at least that I want on mine.”