About this project
1847 is owned and managed by Damien Davenport, a vegetarian since the age of eleven. Having to be constantly faced with the usual nut roasts or mushroom risottos every time he dined out, he knew that vegetarian food didn't have to be like this. He opened the business with a simple aim - to push the boundaries of vegetarian cuisine.
The name 1847 was chosen as it reflected the year that the Worlds first Vegetarian Society was founded in Altrincham, Manchester. Damien has since worked closely with the Society on a number of projects, including judging their annual ‘Chef of the Future’ competition.
Manchester was chosen as the first location and was opened back in February 2011. The site is right in the heart of the business district and opposite Manchester Art Gallery.
Starting out with a team of three, including Damien who worked front of house, 1847 Manchester soon grew into a success and a second location was sought. The vibrant city of Birmingham was chosen and opened in September 2013. It is located in the beautiful Great Western arcade, a hub for independent shops and restaurants.
We are passionate about using locally sourced produce where possible and work with a number of small producers to supply the raw ingredients for our chefs to work with. We recognise the importance of supporting small, independent enterprises and will always continue to do so.
1847 has now grown to employ a team of twenty-five and during the summer of 2014, introduced apprentices into each site. We are really proud to be able to help support and develop the Chefs and front of house staff of the future.
As with any small business there have been ups and downs and it’s always great to receive positive feedback. 1847 has been recommended and won various awards over the years, including:
- BMI on-board magazine: Recommended Restaurant in Manchester, Spring/Summer 2011
- Easyjet on-board magazine: Recommended Restaurant in Manchester, Spring/Summer 2011
- Stylist Magazine, 30 must visit Vegetarian restaurants 2013 & 2014
- Best UK Vegetarian Restaurant outside London 2014, Cook Vegetarian magazine
And most recently in March 2015; 1847 was reviewed by the Observer's restaurant critic, Jay Rayner. www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2015/mar/22/jay-rayner-1847-manchester-vegetarian-restaurant-review
Despite the growth of 1847, our ethos remains the same: To serve contemporary, high quality Vegetarian and Vegan cuisine using locally sourced products in a modern environment.
Future
The investment gained through our Kickstarter campaign will have a tremendous impact on 1847 and allow us to expand our business and open a third site in the centre of Liverpool.
We have chosen Liverpool for a number of reasons:
- It has a population of half a million people with a catchment area of over two million, including North Wales, Chester and the Wirral
- Our market research shows that the Vegetarian/Vegan population are poorly catered for and are enthusiastic about 1847 opening in the city
- It is an exciting city with World class attractions and heritage that attracts a large number of tourists who spend £3.6 billion a year in the city region
- Geographically, it sits well with our other sites and improved public transport links will enable staff to move been Liverpool, Manchester and Birmingham easily
- Damien knows the city well. Having worked as Deputy General Manager of the Malmaison Hotel, he has continued his connection with Liverpool ever since
- In a city where unemployment is high, 1847 Liverpool will offer careers to twelve people
Opening in Liverpool is a really exciting project for us. We have already identified a site and 1847 Liverpool will be our biggest yet. It will include over sixty covers and a separate bar area. It will allow us to offer our ‘pantry table’ - our new lunch selection of fantastic salads, savoury products and cakes for customers to enjoy at home or in the office. We are also thrilled to announce that 1847 Liverpool will be home to our first School - a section of the restaurant devoted to the training and development of our chefs in modern vegetarian/vegan cuisine, giving our employees the very best start and skills to develop their careers. We also plan to offer educational opportunities to external chefs to allow them to take the skills learnt back to their restaurants, in the hope of widening and improving the non-meat options available to diners.
The School will also be open to the public – so you too can come and learn from our chefs and take your newly honed skills back to your own kitchen.
Not wanting to forget 1847 Manchester and Birmingham, we will also expand our lunch offering to include the Pantry table and School, plus we're looking at options to increase the number of covers available at both sites.
People
The development of our School is core to our success as our teams are the face of 1847. We already offer a range of benefits including free meals on duty for those working a full day plus 50% off food at any time, Saturday beers, regular team parties and incentives, including our £250 employee of the season award.
We're now looking to increase our benefits package to include paid volunteering days and paid unlimited annual leave for managers - providing they reach targets. These benefits demonstrate our passion to break away from the norm whether that's by the way we treat our teams or by the food we're serving to our customers.
Your investment
I am really proud of what we have achieved at 1847 so far. We have shown that Vegetarian and Vegan food doesn't have to be boring, we have expanded to two sites in the midst of a recession when other restaurants have been closing around us, we now employ twenty-four staff and take a real interest in their training and development and we are making a profit. Sure, there have been tough times – I lived in the restaurant loft for the first nine months so that I could support the business – but we have moved from strength to strength.
We have had some fantastic support over the years from our regular diners, our suppliers and, of course, our family and friends. We really appreciate everyones support and loyalty towards 1847.
Now the time has come to expand again and take 1847 to Liverpool. We are confident that we can make the project work, despite the hard graft that is undoubtedly going to be involved. We would love it if you would consider helping us to grow. We are hoping to raise £60,000 through our Kickstarter campaign and, whilst a lot of money, our plans have been costed and our realistic. Your support will make a massive difference to 1847 and every employee. If we were successful in raising more than this amount, the money would be used to plan for our fourth site.
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Risks and challenges
As with the opening of any new restaurant, finding the ideal location is key and having the funds available before the process puts us in the best possible position.
Competing the lease can be a lengthy process as can applying for a premises license and possible change of use, if needed.
We've already been though this process twice with Manchester and Birmingham so we know the process and we are confident that we can move forward quickly.
We're a small, committed team and can't wait to open 1847 Liverpool. We hope to see you there soon!
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Funding period
- (41 days)