CHEF Gary Usher, who owns Prescot's Pinion, has been shortlisted for the coveted Best Restaurateur award in the annual GQ Food and Drink Awards.

Last year, the GQ Food and Drink Awards received thousands of suggestions from across the country for the very best in wining and dining.

Gary Usher, founder of the six-restaurant strong Elite Bistros group, has been shortlisted for the top award, following a string of record-breaking crowdfunding campaigns, which have cemented the bistros as some of the most celebrated in the UK.

Wreckfish, which launched in Liverpool in September 2017, raised a record-breaking £200k in its Kickstarter campaign – the largest amount ever raised in the UK for a restaurant, then Usher’s next venture, Pinion in Prescot, which opened in September last year, broke records once again, with a staggering £50k raised in just one hour.

His sixth restaurant, Kala, will be opening on Manchester’s King Street later this year.

Gary Usher said: “I am absolutely made up to have been nominated for this award. I always remember looking at the pictures in my brother’s GQ when I was a kid and thinking what a seriously cool magazine it was.

"The response we’ve had to the bistros continues to be amazing and I’m humbled by everyone’s support.

"Being shortlisted is testament to the constant hard work of the incredible team.”

The awards ceremony will take place on Tuesday, April 30.

For more information about Elite Bistros, visit elitebistros.com.