Merlin Labron-Johnson launches crowdfund to open 'Osip 2.0'

Merlin Labron-Johnson has launched a crowdfunding campaign to support the relocation of his Michelin-starred Osip restaurant in Bruton, Somerset, to a new rural location.

The chef is looking to raise £125,000 on Kickstarter to launch ‘Osip 2.0’ with overnight bedrooms in a remote location just outside of Bruton early next year.

A description of the project on the Kickstarter page said: “Amongst rolling hills and at the foot of a beautiful pine forest, our destination becomes more that just a restaurant. It is our home. Our house.

“A country auberge where you can stay the night, explore the gardens, take a tour of the kitchen and relax by the fire for an after-dinner drink.”

Labron-Johnson opened Osip in 2019 after working as executive chef at the Woodhead Restaurant Group, which included Michelin-starred Portland and Clipstone in London.

Osip won a star in the 2021 Michelin Guide Great Britain and Ireland and a green star for ‘sustainable gastronomy’ in the 2023 edition.

Renovation work on the new site is more than half complete and the project is being paused in a bid to raise the final round of funding needed.

Writing on the Kickstarter page, Labron-Johnson said that if £125,000 or more was raised the bank and investors would “take care of the rest”.

Rewards for those backing the project include the chance to have their name displayed on the restaurant’s ‘Founders Wall’, dinner cooked at home for ten people by Labron-Johnson, and a masterclass and lunch with the chef.

“We do not expect donations but have instead created a reward scheme which allows you to purchase meals, gifts and other experiences in exchange for your kind contributions,” Labron-Johnson wrote.

“We understand that this is a difficult period and that not everybody is in a position to purchase a reward at this time. If we could ask you to instead share the page with as many people as you can, we would be enormously grateful.

“With your help, we can build a bigger, brighter and more beautiful Osip that is here to stay.”

To view the Kickstarter page, click here.