Foxy Wings smashes crowdfunding target - meaning a new restaurant is heading to Bedford

Local concert producer Mark Harrison teamed up with the collaboration between Foxy Wings and Beerfly
The Foxy Wings and Beerfly crewThe Foxy Wings and Beerfly crew
The Foxy Wings and Beerfly crew

Bedford will soon see a brand-new restaurant opening at Riverside North, after a crowdfunding target of £40,000 was smashed thanks to a partnership with a local concert producer.

The collaboration between Foxy Wings’ Matt and Gabs Pearson and Beerfly’s Tim Edwards will see the Clapham-based home kitchen take on a unit along the River Great Ouse in the centre of town.

They launched a crowdfunding campaign earlier this month with a £20,000 target. But thanks to hundreds of supporters donating between £25 and £1,000, that target was reached within just 72 hours.

Mark HarrisonMark Harrison
Mark Harrison

With that under their belt, they decided to double their target so they could invest in signage that fits the upscale aesthetic of the riverside development and double their outdoor seating area.

This attracted the attention of Mark Harrison, the man behind Bedford Park Concerts - which celebrates its 25th year in Bedford this summer.

Mark said: “Bedford is full of opportunity and it’s the spirit of people like Matt, Gabs and Tim that gives this town its excellent and unique independent businesses and events.

“I was so impressed with the way that Foxy Wings has made the most of lockdown and collaborated with Beerfly to create something more permanent, I wanted to help.”

Foxy Wings takeaway deskFoxy Wings takeaway desk
Foxy Wings takeaway desk

Mark believes that Foxy Wings represents what is great about Bedford so decided to help them realise their dream of opening their business.

“All too often people talk Bedford down but there are some brilliant things happening on our doorstep. Whether it’s annual concerts, festivals or enterprising entrepreneurs opening new businesses, we have so much to be proud of here,” added Mark.

Once open, Foxy Wings will serve their now locally famous chicken wings with specially selected beer from Beerfly. As well as an indoor space, they’ll have outdoor seating throughout the summer.

They also aim to be a creative hub at the heart of the community, as reflected in the partnerships with local artists and businesses who created rewards for people who donated to their crowdfunder.

They will also host food and design centred events, live music evenings, creative workshops, and all in all be a hotspot for inspiration, entertainment and culture and community initiatives.

Commenting on the success of their Crowdfunder Gabriela Pearson said: “We have so many people to thank for their support of our project.

“The people of Bedford have shown us an incredible amount of love and trust and we can’t thank them enough, we will do everything we can to make our little project everything it can be.

“It just goes to show how much people are ready to back each other. We hope it will continue to inspire people to use their skills, creativity and passion to make Bedford everything it could be.”

Foxy Wings hopes to now open for takeaways in July with the full restaurant opening in September at the former MEXICo unit in Riverside North.

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