‘I didn't have much choice in what I was doing. I wanted to do something academic but I didn't have that brain, so I left school early and washed dishes in a pub for a couple of years. I was about fourteen or so, and that was it – that's how I fell into it. There's definitely no bullshit romantic story. I didn't want to be a cook.’
I wasn’t expecting much in the way of romance from Gary Usher. I’d never met him before, but I’d read his withering, burn-tastic put downs of rude customers on TripAdvisor. I follow his straight-talking Twitter account. Throw in the tattoos and the relentless f-bombs (there’s more coming), and if I’m honest, I was prepared for a bit of an attitude. I’m sure I’m not the first person to make that mistake, nor will I be the last.
Gary has fast made a name for himself as a restaurateur in the North West, opening restaurants at an incredible rate. You may know him best as the man behind the superb Sticky Walnut – he opened that one in 2011, and followed up with Burnt Truffle in Heswall, Hispi in Didsbury and most recently Wreckfish – a two-storey bistro in Liverpool city centre. Gary’s northern empire is impressive, but the manner in which he built it is even more so. With all his savings invested in Sticky Walnut and the banks refusing to lend him any money, Gary took to Kickstarter to raise investment for each of the other three restaurants. This year, 1,522 people stumped up £208,956 to make Wreckfish a reality, and his fourth restaurant in seven years is by far the biggest so far… at least, in terms of space.