Lockdown, day 4,946: You’ve disinfected the big shop with anti-bacterial wipes and loaded it into the fridge, freezer and cupboards. Another banana bread loaf cools on the kitchen counter and you decide you absolutely cannot be arsed to cook any of the groceries you just had delivered. You swipe away from your ‘when can I receive the vaccine?’ and ‘how easy is it to move to New Zealand?’ Google searches and hit up Deliveroo for the fourth time that week. It’s only Tuesday.
We’re all really, really missing restaurants. And bars. And pubs. And cafes. And bakeries. It seems such an obvious, pointless statement to even declare at this point, almost a year into a global pandemic, but the inconsistent, irresponsible attitude that has been afforded to the hospitality industry by the British government has constantly dangled that carrot of optimism in front of us that ‘all of this’ won’t last too much longer, that substantial meals will save us, that Eating Out to Help Out is alright. The give and take has taken it’s toll and we’re now entrenched in a deep malaise of DIY meal kits and Joe Wicks workouts. Oh fucking hell.
So this is where Demi Community have stepped in. Founded in July by Ian Moore, formerly of VICE, LADbible and Danish distillery lords Empirical, Demi is a platform that aims to connect communities through food, redefining the way cooks and guests interact online.
Early initiatives by DC have seen them collaborate on group chats with some of the world’s most exciting chefs, giving guests direct access to pick the brains of Roberta’s Pizza tsar Anthony Falco, sustainability senpai Matt Orlando and New York’s go-to duo for carnivores, Butcher Girls, among a myriad of others. The chats cost £10 to join, with 100% of that money heading directly to the chefs themselves to support their culinary work.
However, the campaign that is most catching the attention of the masses at the moment is ‘Love Letters’, – a call-to-arms for food and drink lovers across the globe to declare their love for the establishments they miss the most. The second homes and regular haunts that have provided so much comfort and so many wonderful memories down the years.
Followers are encouraged to visit Demi’s website and write a letter to whichever venue(s) they feel most passionately about, with the most eye catching and inspiring submissions not only being shared on DC’s instagram page, but also earning £100 for the author to spend at that very same venue.
“Last year was total carnage for the industry, and we just felt like those going through that needed to hear just how much their establishments meant to people,” explains Ian, DC’s founder, when I catch up with him.
“It’s not just about going in and getting a meal, it’s really about the moments these places and their staff created and how much they brightened up people’s lives. I feel like people deserve to know that! “
And while nothing is going to replace the physical experience of an unrestricted few hours putting the world to rights over several plates of food and several bottles of alcohol, having a platform to indulge in nostalgia fuelled odes to better times has proved to be an incredibly popular, cathartic experience for a multitude of people.
“The response has been great” enthuses Ian, a former editor at Vice and Empirical Spirits’ original creative director. “It’s fun to see little pockets of engagement pop up and go viral. Go check out New York, it’s wild how many letters have been written there. So many restaurants have gotten back saying how happy it made them. So that feels really special. I feel like any little thing that can raise peoples spirits in this weird time, is only a good thing.”
During his time as LADbible’s content director, Ian, originally from Dublin, based himself in Manchester and instantly became enamoured with the city’s food and drink scene, feeling as if he’d landed in a home-away-from-home during his 18 months in the North West.
“I loved the Manc food scene. I could walk up and down the curry mile, to no end. It was actually a bit stressful because I wanted to eat everywhere on that street and never knew where to pick. I honestly don’t think Manchester’s food scene gets enough credit. Not sure why that is but for me it had so much to offer. Also, I spent way too much time at this little Irish pub called Mother Macs. Is that still there? I hope so.”
“I would write a love letter to that naan bread at Akbar’s. The one that’s the size of a grown human torso.”
Just one cursory glance at Demi’s insta feed tells you all you need to know about the community spirit that hospitality generates and how that spirit resonates not just in specific towns and cities, but universally. For all the remarkable work so many ludicrously talented chefs have done to alter their menus and services so they can be enjoyed in living rooms instead of dining rooms, nothing will ever replace slinging a hungover Irish Fry down your gullet in Koffee Pot on a weekend, nor will it replicate nursing a perfectly poured Guinness at The Castle Hotel, followed by your eighth round of the black stuff next door at Night & Day a few hours later. The hypnotic glow of the embers from within the oven at Rudy’s is a scene that cannot be achieved in your home kitchen, nor can you buzz off the hum of the atmosphere of a jam packed Katsouris, Temple Bar, Mackie Mayor or a Northern Quarter Rice ‘n’ Three gaff when you’re sat in your trackie bottoms, entering the third season of The Sopranos for the fifth time (although that is a fucking great way to spend an evening, tbf).
“I think community is always hugely important, but sometimes I find we take it for granted and don’t really consider it until it’s gone. At least for me. I miss hanging out with people, and meeting new people.”
“DEMI is really just an attempt to bring that sort of connection online in a meaningful way. Not just ads and algorithms but authenticity and community. It seems to be working.”
Ian’s words resonate loud and clear. The tentpoles of our communities will no longer be taken for granted in a post-covid world, whatever or whenever that may be. They will be cherished more than ever, especially in Manchester, the city where ‘tables are made for dancing on’. One lonely, isolated stroll around an abandoned Northern Quarter or Castlefield drives home just how heart wrenching this last 10 months have been for the city. Post-work revelry has become a thing of the past, accidental day sessions consigned to history until further notice. Bartenders, waiting staff and line cooks all sat at home wondering when their tips will start rolling in again.
So what of the future? Ian has an idea of what we should be expecting when times return to just being ‘precedented’.
“I hope people realise how much restaurants really mean and start supporting local, small businesses more and more. These places really are the cornerstones of our community, and without them I think we are losing an absolutely massive part of the social fabric. Whatever the future may be, hopefully DEMI can give a hand in helping with it. I miss restaurants.”
So, while we wait and see what’s round the corner, circling the days off our calendars until we can take a seat with a plate of food and something cold to drink, maybe public declarations of love aren’t such a bad way to pass the time? Show your favourite Mancunian meeting place some love. They’ll appreciate it more than you’ll know.
