Bishop Auckland based chef and former BBC Masterchef contestant Mike Bartley has launched a crowdfunding campaign to bring his dining concept to the masses.
Having appeared on Masterchef in 2021, earning a coveted apron and receiving high praise from former Masterchef champions and regular judges John Torode and Gregg Wallace, Mike packed in his day job to pursue a career as a private chef.
After two years cooking for clients in their homes and holiday lets across the country, Mike has announced plans to open ‘Restaurant Jörd’, a 40-seater tasting menu restaurant, in Bishop Auckland next year. “It was always the dream to have my own restaurant,” said Mike. “That was the main drive for me when applying for Masterchef. I wanted to turn my passion for cooking from a hobby to a career and the show is the ideal springboard to make that happen.
“When I appeared on the show, the hospitality industry was still feeling the effects of the Covid pandemic, so it didn’t make sense to jump straight into a restaurant. I decided to become a private chef to satisfy the desire to cook for other people, and spent some time interning in Michelin Starred restaurants to gain experience.”
The restaurant will be located on Newgate Street and will be part of the £12m transformation of Kingsway Square, which will also include luxury tourist accommodation and a new car park.
“I have loved being a private chef over the past two years,” added Mike. “It is far more intimate than a restaurant setting, and it is so nice to be able to connect with guests while you’re cooking for them. But a restaurant has always been in the back of my mind and when I heard about this opportunity, I knew it was the right time to take the leap.”
Jörd (pronounced ‘you-rd’) is the old Norse goddess of the Earth and literally translates to ‘land’ or ‘soil’ in Scandinavian languages. The name has been chosen to highlight the connection between Mike’s cooking style and the land around the restaurant, using ingredients that are foraged and locally grown.
Mike describes his food as modern British/European, but with ideas and ingredients borrowed from other cultures. “A strong connection to the land is so important for me,” he said. “Not only are ingredients at their freshest when they are harvested on the same day that they are served, but the quality is far superior to supermarket produce. My food waste is turned into compost, which feeds the next batch of crops and creates a perpetual cycle of sustainability.
“I try to steer away from the term ‘fine dining’ when describing my food because I think it evokes notions of inaccessibility and opulence. I’d like to think my food is elevated in flavour and appearance, but in a way that can be enjoyed by everyone.”
Mike has launched a crowdfunding campaign on Kickstarter to raise additional funds towards to cost of opening the restaurant. The online platform lets a business project set a funding goal and a deadline to raise the funds. As a backer, there are a number of pledges that can be made. Each pledge comes with a promise – something that you get in return. Mike’s project must reach the funding goal by the 27 October deadline. If the goal is not achieved, the project is unsuccessful, and backers are not charged.
Pledges start at £10 and include a tasting menu experience for 2, 4 or 6 guests at a pre-opening offer price of just £45pp. “My aim is for Jörd to be a place where you would feel comfortable and trust us with your most special occasions, and the quality of the fit-out needs to reflect this. All money raised will go towards maximising the potential of the restaurant in addition to my existing capital.”
Follow Mike’s journey on Instagram at @chefmikebartley / @jordbishopauckland or on Facebook.
Bishop Auckland's local community newspaper.
