The group is hoping to raise £40,000 on Kickstarter to transform an old park warden’s bungalow in Sophia Gardens in to what it hopes will be one of the country’s “most sustainable, exciting independent restaurants”.
Founders Phill and Debs Lewis, who have a background in social care, began running Dusty Knuckle at local markets in 2014 and have since expanded to two permanent outdoor sites in Cardiff and St Davids.
The group won the ‘People’s Choice’ awards in the Sustainable Restaurant Association’s (SRA) Food Made Good awards last year, and claims to be the first in the country to have introduced aluminium, reusable pizza boxes to reduce waste.
Now the husband-and-wife team has turned to Kickstarter to open the Warden's House project in the most sustainable way possible, and are working with the SRA to make it happen.
Their plans include installing a rainwater recycling system, a composting machine, and keeping honey bees on the roof.
They are also looking to create an employment programme for disadvantaged groups, and a scheme to make the restaurant accessible to families who may not otherwise be in a position to eat out.
“The site will allow us to make the most of our strengths; to have an open kitchen where customers can watch our chefs at work; a small kitchen garden for us to gather produce; and a massive outside seating space for people to be surrounded by nature, with the park and castle as the backdrop,” says Phill.
“We’ve always had a sustainable philosophy at the core of our business. But doing things in a way that is sympathetic to the environment, often costs more. And that’s why we’ve decided to ask for some help.”
To view the Kickstarter page, click here.