Kevin and Nicola Tickle to launch Kickstarter for Heft restaurant

Chef Kevin Tickle and his wife Nicola are to launch a Kickstarter campaign to fund the opening of Heft, an inn with rooms in Cumbria.

The pair hope to raise around £40,000 towards the project ahead of its planned opening this summer.

Kevin (pictured) spent nine years working with Simon Rogan before becoming head chef at the Forest Side in Grasmere, which won a Michelin star within eight months of its launch.

He and Nicola collected the keys to Heft last summer and have been refurbishing the 17th-century inn to include six guest bedrooms, a fine dining restaurant and bar.

The Kickstarter will go live on 22 February with a series of guest chef nights and lunches, which will go ahead when it is safe to do so. These include collaborations with chefs Lisa Goodwin-Allen, Steven Smith, Mark Birchall, Adam Reid, Michael Wignall and Alex Bond.

Other rewards include foraging days with Kevin and producer masterclasses with nearby brewers, bakers and cheesemakers.

Kevin said: “We’ve worked really hard since August last year to make our dream come to life and we’re nearly there. To help push us over the line we’ve joined forces with some friends who just happen to be some of the UK’s top chefs to create a series of unique dining experiences, which people will be able to enjoy with us at Heft.”

Birchall added: "We're all involved because despite everything that's been thrown at them by Covid and a really old building, Kevin and Nicola are determined to realise their dream, which is something that we can all appreciate, and it’s why we’re happy to give them a helping hand.”

Tickets will go live on 22 February.