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A flip of a coin brought me here and now we run one of Liverpool's most popular cafes

Borja and Natasha Castro spoke to the ECHO about their popular sandwich shop, getting married and what comes next

[Borja and Natasha Castro shared the incredible story behind Castro's Cafeteria]

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Borja and Natasha Castro shared the incredible story behind Castro's Cafeteria(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

It was a flip of a coin for Borja Castro that inspired him to move to Liverpool. The 45-year-old was keen to spread his wings after he had become too comfortable with settled life in his native Tenerife.

The keen quad biker had identified a trekking scene in North Wales and wanted to move to a bigger city nearby so he could push beyond his comfort zone, while also staying in touch with his passion. This meant a toss up between Liverpool and Manchester for where he would uproot to - and he decided on Merseyside because of its geographic similarities to the Canary Islands.

Little did he know then the similarities would extend to much more than just proximity to the water as he has gone on to make Liverpool his home, met his wife here and the two have gone on to establish one of the most popular places in the city centre, Castro's Cafeteria. The ECHO visited the Hackins Hey establishment earlier this week to speak to Borja and Natasha about their thriving business that is quickly becoming an institution in the city.

The caf was closed during our interview, but it's a sign of the sandwich shop's overwhelming popularity that almost 10 people tried to enter on Monday morning during our 25 minute chat. Natasha, who hails from West Derby, is still unable to process what the two have built in her home city. Speaking to the ECHO, the 35-year-old 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."

The Castro's story is all the more remarkable as neither Borja or Tasha come from a culinary background. The two met in the hospitality industry in Amalia, but were both considering completely different careers before their friends, Fiona and Dominic Hornsby, who own the Denbigh Castle, suggested they should look into doing something with 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.'"

[Borja and Natasha Castro outside of Castro's Cafeteria]

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Borja and Natasha Castro outside of Castro's Cafeteria(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

This was in 2022 when Borja was considering pivoting to office work after quitting a job at a restaurant. 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."

Failure has never looked so good as Castro's is a huge success. The Mediterranean flavours of Mechada sandwiches and tortilla tapas have conquered the hearts and palates of Scousers as it's a common sight to see crowds gathered on the road outside the cafeteria after work.

Borja decided upon a sandwich shop as he thought Liverpool's cafe scene was missing 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.

"You don't talk to anyone. In Spain, it's different. We all sit around the bar and talk to the guy that's making you the coffee or the sandwich. It becomes a neighbourhood place. It's like the local pub, but made into a coffee shop."

Borja was confident Scousers would connect to this idea as the people here are as sociable as they are in Tenerife. He said: "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.

"I don't know how to explain it but Liverpool reminds me a lot of La Laguna in Tenerife because the city is small. You can walk everywhere. Everything is nearby but there is always something going on. And the people are so open, so nice and so warm. Honestly, I feel like I'm at home. You go around and chat to everyone. You recognise people in the street."

Borja's vision for what Castro's could be came to him over a drink at the Denbigh, as he said: "I went home a bit tipsy and told Tash, 'We're going to have a sandwich shop next door to the Denbigh'. She said, 'Have some electrolytes and go to bed, you will be fine in the morning."

Tasha had reason to be sceptical of Borja's grand plans as there was one key problem. She told the ECHO: "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'."

But Borja had a secret weapon as his Spanish roots meant he could rely on authentic family recipes to capture a taste of the Canary Islands. 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 menu at Castro's that has conquered the hearts and palates of Scousers]

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The menu at Castro's that has conquered the hearts and palates of Scousers(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

It was the Mechada that become a viral sensation after the pulled beef sandwich was reviewed by influencer, Jerome Griffin, also known as the Scouse Ghetto Gourmet. After a slow start to business, the power of social media meant there were soon queues out the doors and Borja will forever treasure the handwritten note from his auntie that inspired the success.

He said: "We have it at home. We should frame it. But we should pixelate it so nobody copies." But it's not just tasty sandwiches that are key to Castro's success.

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."

The shop has completely changed their lives as Tasha was initially pursuing a career in genetics when Castro's started to take off. 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 are now excited for the future as they got married this summer in a ceremony at St George's Hall and have recently expanded Castro's into a second unit on Leather Lane, which will be used for preparation and storage. Neither of the couple considered a career in sandwiches, but Borja can't imagine life without it now as he laughed he would never have survived in an office environment.

[Borja and Natasha headed to Castro's for a cheeky beer after they tied the knot in St George's Hall. They are now looking forward to their second wedding in Tenerife at the start of next month]

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Borja and Natasha headed to Castro's for a cheeky beer after they tied the knot in St George's Hall. They are now looking forward to their second wedding in Tenerife at the start of next month(Image: Maisie Baines)

He said: "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?'" Another thing he can't imagine missing from his life, is Liverpool. He said: "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 has perfectly assimilated into the city as he shares the same warm and welcoming traits that defines Scousers like Tasha. He is grateful for the way he has been embraced by the city as Tasha laughed he now knows more people here than she does.

Borja pointed to a sign at the front of the shop as the reason why he has connected with the city so strongly as the couple vowed to keep bringing good vibes, cheeky beers and delicious sandwiches to the people of Liverpool for the foreseeable future.

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."

[A sign in the window at Castro's Cafeteria]

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A sign in the window at Castro's Cafeteria(Image: Andrew Teebay Liverpool Echo)

Borja and Tasha will be closing the shop for two weeks from September 1 - 15 as they have a second wedding party in Tenerife. They will be saying goodbye before their holiday in style with an August Bank Holiday party at Ropes and Twines on August 30.

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