Liverpool born and Anglesey based chef Ellis Barrie and brother Liam exceed Kickstarter target to fund cookery school
The Marram Grass’ Ellis and Liam Barrie Bros have been successful in raising over £30,000 through a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to fund a new cookery school, which will be based on the White Lodge campsite on which the Marram Grass is based.
On Monday afternoon, the Barrie brothers tweeted from the @TheMarramGrass account:
The COOKERY SCHOOL happening. We’ve smashed the £30k mark. Its still live til the 5/11/18 then we sort rewards and will be in touch. In the meantime there are plenty of rewards left. It’s nearly Christmas do your thing and have fun #foodsheducationhttps://t.co/gdNjwc8ZbT
Ellis, who reached the Banquet of this years Great British Menu has always dreamt of running his own cookery school that runs alongside the restaurant. One of his earliest experiences of cooking outside the family home, was when he was 12 years old where he attended a Saturday cooking school run at the local college which cemented his ambition to become a chef.
The cookery school will afford aspiring chefs of all ages will have the opportunity to learn from Ellis and develop their skills. Ellis and Liam hope to build their YouTube channel and offer cooking tutorials online, which in turn, they hope to spread the word about Welsh produce on a global scale through the internet.
Incentives included sponsorship of a local child or teenager’s Saturday cookery classes for a term with Ellis, Liam and the Marram Grass team, in which they’ll learn the basics of cooking, but also about the fantastic opportunities that a career in the hospitality sector can provide. In addition, the brothers will be holding an ongoing series of masterclasses with renowned chefs including 2018 GBM finalist and London chef, Tom Brown; 2017 Scottish Chef of the Year, Lorna McNee; 2010 Master Chef Professionals Winner, Claire Lara; Cardiff-based chef, Tommy Heaney; Liverpool chef, Paul Askew; and others. By pledging £150 or more into the crowdfunding campaign, investors could gain a place on a masterclass of their choice.
The excitement from the two brothers is palpable. Ellis commented: “I’m so excited to get the Cookery School up and running. This is what cooking is all about – learning from and inspiring others. I’m also proud to work with some of the best suppliers in the country, including the Halen Môn salt factory next door and the amazing Menai Oysters and Mussels Ltd. I can’t wait to showcase them through our social media channels and teach the world about the wonders of Welsh produce.”
Liam added: “Since starting our business 3 years ago, our company, Barrie Bros., which encompasses, the Marram Grass, the White Lodge cottage (coming soon) and our bacon and pork business, The Fat Pic Co., we’ve built a following and fanbase that we’re proud of. We want to use the cookery school to be more interactive and engage with those that have supported us over the years, and who want to learn more about what we do. That’s exactly what crowdfunding is about which is why we’ve turned to Kickstarter. We’re giving those that care about us the chance to get involved in a number of ways, and to continue to watch us grow.”
So far, the brothers have raised £30,615 for the school which will be used as a hub, from where Ellis can develop the Marram Grass’s own chefs, teach the basic skills to budding chefs and also offer experiences to Marram Grass guests who want to learn more about cooking and get more hands on with food and drink.
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