A crowdfunding bid to open an English wine bar and restaurant in London has been launched by Sven-Hanson Britt, a finalist of MasterChef: The Professionals.
The project, Oxeye London, was launched on the Kickstarter website on 5 January and, at the time of print, has successfully secured £26,393 of its total goal of £30,000. This will be used to help Sven and his partner Kae Shibata fund the deposit and fit out of a “dream location” in central London.
Bar Rex at Oxeye, which has been named after Kae and Sven’s new born son, Rex Shibata-Britt, is set to boast the largest collection of English wine “ever assembled” as Sven has been a self-appointed ambassador for the English wine industry for many years and is incredibly excited for the direction it is heading in.
The restaurant is described as “a farm to table” initiative which will be served in “Sven’s unique style”, influenced by the kaiseki cuisine and craft of Japan combined with historical British ingredients, tradition and cooking technique.
As seen on the MasterChef: The Professionals, Rematch 2019, which aired on the BBC on 23 December 2019, opening a rural restaurant has been one of Sven’s life goals. Oxeye London will celebrate produce grown by UK farmers, with a particular focus on Park Farm, which is part of the Melbourne Estate and home to rare breed livestock farmers Tori and Ben Stanley.
The South Derbyshire farm will one day also be home to Oxeye Derbyshire, but in the meantime Sven “is desperate to start cooking for customers and start telling the unique story of Oxeye”.
Pledge options range from £1 to £8,000. By pledging £45 the donator will be invited to a Vineyards of Hampshire soft launch party in February, while a £150 pledge will come with an “Oxeye curated” tour of Hambledon Vineyard. Funding will only be secured and released if the total goal of £30,000 is raised by Saturday 25 January 2020.
