Nathan Cain, a 26-year-old from Toxteth, has turned his passion for cooking into a thriving venture, with customers travelling from as far as Birmingham to sample his food. His business, Cheffed by Nay, operates from his back garden and has gained a massive online following.
From School Cooking Room to Back Garden Venture
Cain's love for food began during his school days at Shorefields, a diverse school where he was surrounded by Jamaican, African, and Arab friends. He recalls often skipping lessons to spend time in the cooking room. After working in restaurants and a kitchen job with a friend, he decided to start his own business in August after leaving his kitchen-based role.
His menu features a range of food boxes, including jerk chicken, curry and rice, and fish, alongside his much-loved salt and pepper boxes and school cake. It is his authentic Jamaican menu with a personal twist that has put him in the spotlight around Liverpool and beyond.
Building an Online Presence and Community Support
In the last two months, Cain has built a significant online presence, gaining over 20,000 followers on Instagram alone. He credits his auntie for helping with serving and friends for their support when they can. The community support has been 'amazing', with queues described as 'crazy'.
Cain told the ECHO: "I'm from Toxteth, and it's a cultural area. I grew up around here since I was a baby. I went to Shorefields; it was a really diverse school. I had a lot of Jamaican friends, African friends, Arab friends. It's not just Jamaican food that I cook—I've tried cooking Arabic food, I've done Chinese too."
He added: "With Jamaican food, I love a lot of spicy, seasoned, flavourful foods, and I see that with Jamaican food. It's a lot of flavours and a lot of spice—not everything is spice, but it's got a heat, and I love heat. Even the culture, the music, I took a shine to it from a young age."
Future Plans for Expansion
Cain's goal is to open a shop and expand his business beyond the back garden. He said: "I'm going to be getting a shop, that is the aim. I want more than one location, whether that's a food truck, container, a shop. I want to go all in. I don't want to base it all on just Jamaican food, because I can cook so much other food."
He also plans to offer meal preps, possibly Jamaican meal preps, and is in the process of working on several ideas. Reflecting on his journey, he said: "I never took it seriously up until now. I didn't expect it to blow up like that. I was just doing something that I enjoyed. I was sick of being in dead-end jobs, not liking what I was doing. I've always had a passion for it."
