Borja Castro's decision to move to Liverpool came down to a coin flip, a choice that led him to meet his wife Natasha and establish Castro's Cafeteria, one of the city centre's most popular sandwich shops. The 45-year-old, originally from Tenerife, wanted to leave his settled life and pursue a trekking scene in North Wales, with Liverpool chosen over Manchester for its geographic similarities to the Canary Islands.
A thriving business born from a chance decision
The ECHO visited the Hackins Hey establishment to speak to Borja and Natasha about their thriving business. During a 25-minute interview, almost 10 people tried to enter the closed café, a sign of its overwhelming popularity. Natasha, 35, from West Derby, said: "I'm beyond proud and I was just so wrong because I just didn't believe him in the beginning. I hate admitting he was right, but he was so right."
Neither Borja nor Natasha come from a culinary background. They met in the hospitality industry in Amalia, but were considering different careers before friends Fiona and Dominic Hornsby, who own the Denbigh Castle, suggested they look at the vacant building next to the pub. Tasha added: "The plan was we were going to have a look because they kept asking, but we were going to say no. That was the plan and then as soon as we walked in, Borja said, 'We'll take it.'"
Community at the heart of Castro's
This was in 2022 when Borja was considering office work after quitting a restaurant job. He laughed: "I was done after seven years doing the same hospitality thing. I wanted to move to an office job and have no responsibility. I wanted to work Monday - Friday, 9 - 5 and have my Saturday and Sunday off. But I failed."
Borja chose a sandwich shop because he felt Liverpool's café scene lacked a community feel. He said: "I felt like the coffee shop here can be a bit lonely at times, because you grab your coffee and you sit on your own with your laptop with that table over there." He added that in Spain, people sit around the bar and talk, making it a neighbourhood place like a local pub.
Borja was confident Scousers would connect with this idea, noting similarities between people from Liverpool and Tenerife: "Scousers and people from Canary Islands are so similar. You go to Tenerife and everyone opens the door to their house for you to come in. We are so welcoming and it's the same with Liverpool. It's incredible."
Family recipes and viral success
Borja's vision came to him over a drink at the Denbigh, where he told Tasha about the sandwich shop plan. She was sceptical, saying: "He never even used to cook for me at home so when he said I'm going to open this, I was like, 'Well, who is going to cook?' And he said, 'Don't worry about it.'. I told him, 'I'm very worried'."
Borja relied on authentic family recipes from Tenerife. He said: "There was a lot of calling home in Tenerife, calling my mum, my nan, my auntie for recipes. For the Mechada, it was my auntie that gave us the handwritten recipe and sent it over with my cousin." The Mechada became a viral sensation after influencer Jerome Griffin, also known as the Scouse Ghetto Gourmet, reviewed it. Borja treasures the handwritten note, saying: "We have it at home. We should frame it. But we should pixelate it so nobody copies."
Tasha added: "I feel like there's definitely a sense of community. The food is amazing, but I feel like people come to chat to people. The parties, the music. It makes them feel a part of something."
Marriage, expansion, and future plans
The shop changed their lives, with Tasha choosing sandwiches over a career in genetics. She said: "I knew a Master's degree would pull me away from this even more and it was getting busier and busier. In the end, I chose the sandwiches over genetics and I'm happy that I did." The couple married this summer at St George's Hall and recently expanded into a second unit on Leather Lane for preparation and storage.
Borja can't imagine life without the café, saying: "I miss working. We love what we do here. When we are not working, it's like, 'Should I go and do a few sandwiches?'" He also considers Liverpool home: "I consider Liverpool home. We go back to Tenerife in February for the Carnival to see the family. After a week it is like, 'I love my holidays, but I need to be home. I need to go back to Liverpool with the dog and make sandwiches."
Borja pointed to a sign at the front of the shop as the reason for his connection with the city. He said: "We have a little sign on the window and the only thing more powerful than hate is love. To be an immigrant living in Liverpool and have all the support from the locals feels amazing. There's a feeling of safety and a lot of responsibility because we don't want to fail when we make the sandwich. We are here to spread love."
Borja and Tasha will close the shop for two weeks from September 1-15 for a second wedding party in Tenerife, and will celebrate with an August Bank Holiday party at Ropes and Twines on August 30.
