8 Plates Going Analogue

Aim

Creating a mobile regenerative kitchen connecting people with food, farmers, fire and the land.

There’s something special about gathering around a fire, or a table.

For thousands of years, it’s where we’ve shared food, passed on knowledge, told stories and built communities. Somewhere along the way, many of us lost that connection—not just with each other, but with the people who grow our food and the land that sustains it.

For over 25 years, I’ve dedicated my life to food.

I've been fortunate to cook in Michelin-starred kitchens, lead luxury hospitality teams, appear on television, mentor chefs and create unforgettable dining experiences through 8 Plates. I've worked with incredible farmers, artisan producers and craftspeople who care deeply about how food is grown, raised and prepared.

Those experiences have shaped my career, but they've also changed the way I see hospitality.

I no longer believe that great food is only about what appears on the plate.

Great food starts long before it reaches the plate.

It starts with healthy soil.

Farmers.

Fire.

Community.

That belief became 8 Plates Going Analogue.

I'm building a mobile, off-grid live-fire kitchen and gathering space with its home base in Woodborough, Nottinghamshire, that can travel to regenerative farms, schools, festivals and communities across Britain. A place where renewable technology meets one of humanity's oldest cooking methods. A place where people can experience live-fire cooking, learn from farmers and producers, discover regenerative agriculture and reconnect with food in a meaningful way.

Powered by solar energy, battery storage, borehole water and a heat recovery system that captures energy from the fire itself, this project is designed to show that exceptional hospitality and environmental responsibility can work hand in hand.

While 8 Plates Going Analogue will have its home base in Woodborough, Nottinghamshire, its purpose is to travel. From there, we'll take the kitchen to carefully selected regenerative farms, festivals, schools, producers and extraordinary events across the UK, before returning home to host unforgettable gatherings, education and collaboration around the fire.

But this isn't just about building a kitchen.

It's about creating a place where you can rediscover where food really comes from.

Where chefs learn from farmers.

Where communities gather around a table.

Where producers share their stories.

Where strangers become friends.

I've spent my career bringing people together through food.

Now I'm asking for your help to build something that can do the same for years to come.

By becoming a Founding Firekeeper, you're not simply supporting a crowdfunding campaign.

You're helping create a travelling home for food, farming, education and community—one that will inspire thousands of people, support local producers and prove that a different way of doing things is possible.

Help build something different.

If your organisation shares our values and believes in building something different, let's start a conversation.

Don't hesitate to get in touch with us via the Contact this project button or email us at [email protected].

Let's build it together.

Funding method

All or nothing – this project will only receive pledges if it reaches its target of £40,000 by 15th October 2026 at 9:13pm