Jord Restaurant in Bishop Auckland reaches £35,000 target

Bishop Auckland restaurant Jord, run by former MasterChef contestant Mike Bartley, 37, is set to open next year after its Kickstarter fundraising campaign surpassed its £35,000 target with 38 days to go.

The venue’s crowdfunder has raised almost £38,000 at the time of writing.

Mr Bartley said he was overjoyed after his company achieved its goal and thanked everyone who contributed to the effort.

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He said: “I wasn’t expecting to publish this today, but we have exceeded our target of £35,000 in less than half the 60 day period.”

“When I launched the Kickstarter 22 days ago, I immediately thought I had made a big mistake.

“I quickly realized that in order to achieve the goal, I would have to convince well over 300 people to believe in the project enough to want to make a promise.

“I was prepared for hard work and there were points where I thought it might be pointless.

“But I was so wrong. It’s pretty overwhelming to see how much support there is for this and I can’t thank you all enough for making pledges and for fucking posting this on your own social feeds to make sure it was everyone knows about it.”

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“The fact that we achieved the target volume in less than half the allotted time is overwhelming,” he added.

“It is testament to the strong support in the local community and desire for a regeneration of Newgate Street.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing what the next few months have in store for me. A lot of hard work, I would imagine!”

“But I am determined to repay the public’s trust in the project by opening a great new place to eat and drink in the city.”

“The goal has been achieved, but if you would like to secure the reduced price for the tasting menu, you are welcome to make another commitment.”

Mr Bartley told The Northern Echo last week that the money would go towards maximizing the restaurant’s potential – outfitting the venue with appropriate furniture, artwork and various kitchen appliances.

He said he had been a fan of MasterChef for years before appearing on the show and began working as a private chef shortly after appearing on the show.

Based on his experience on the show and his work as a private chef, he plans to prioritize simpler food over “fancy” offerings.

Mr Bartley added that he plans to use his “greatest hits” initially as the restaurant’s menu evolves.

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He said it will offer a “relaxed but sophisticated” tasting menu in the evenings and an “upscale brunch” offering during the day, as well as wines and cocktails.

A crowdfunder on Kickstarter can exist for a maximum of 60 days, and if they do not reach their goal within that time, the founder will not receive the pledges.

Mr Bartley added that the target was a minimum target and that the tasting menu could be secured at a discounted price if further commitments were received.