American Express pledges £220,000 to back independent UK restaurants

American Express' grant programme that enables independent restaurants in London and Manchester to apply for grants of £11,000 returns.

Returning for a fourth year, the Backing International Small Restaurants programme is run by the International Downtown Association Foundation in partnership with the Association of Town & City Management in the UK. It is open to applicants in three new countries—France, New Zealand, and Spain—in addition to restaurants in the UK, Australia, Canada, Japan and Mexico.

In the UK, the programme will provide a total of £220,000 to support small, independent businesses in London and Manchester. Twenty recipients will be selected to each receive £11,000 in grant funding.

Last year's UK winners included Bury­ based cafe Wax and Beans, which upgraded its kitchen and expanded its outside seating area.

''Receiving the Backing International Small Restaurants grant last year has allowed us to invest in upgrading our kitchen, as well as extending the outdoor dining area so that even more people can enjoy great coffee, food, and, of course, some excellent music, in the sun," says Wax and Beans.