Tom Kerridge, chef/owner of The Hand and Flowers, which holds two stars in the Michelin Guide UK, will launch Gary Usher’s new restaurant, Wreckfish in Liverpool if the chef can reach his Kickstarter goal.

The £200,000 crowdfunding campaign was launched earlier this month in a bid to open the 100 cover restaurant in the Ropewalks area of Liverpool city centre. If successful, this will mark the chef’s fourth restaurant and third to be funded through the popular crowdfunding site.

According to Hospitality & Catering News Gary said: “The support we have received for Wreckfish has been incredible, not only from people who know us, but from the entire industry. I can’t believe that Michelin starred chefs are offering to cook for us just so we can make Wreckfish a reality. Tom Kerridge coming to cook in our bistro that hasn’t even opened yet is a huge thing for us and the whole region. I honestly can’t think of a better way to launch the restaurant.”

Tickets were for an exclusive dinner with the top Bristolian chef with all 74 places selling out within 15 minutes of going on sale raising over £11k with the total now exceeding £140,000.

• Read more about Tom Kerridge here

To help push the campaign before it ends next week people have been busy pledging for tickets for masterclasses at Gary’s other restaurants, branded merchandise and a number of special guest chef nights including a brunch for two cooked by Dan Doherty of Duck & Waffle.

A number of other guest chef nights are set to be revealed during the final week of the campaign.

If successful, this will be the largest ever amount raised in the UK by Kickstarter for a restaurant.

Gary’s first restaurant, Sticky Walnut, was launched under a small budget in Chester in 2011. This was followed by Burnt Truffle in 2015 and more recently Hispi in Didsbury, Manchester, both of which were financed through crowdfunding.

(Gary reached the £200, 000 target a day before the end date. The total currently stands at £204, 225 from 1,464 backers - the highest amount raised in the UK for a restaurant and will continue to run until June 1, 2017)