A man went from being homeless to starting his own business after moving to Liverpool.
Nigel Westbrooks was living out of his car in the USA and says at one point he had lost everything he owned. Now, having moved to Liverpool, he is running a food business based in one of Liverpool's best-known pubs.
Nigel's mum Carla Baptista was born in Liverpool 8. She moved to Oceanside in California after marrying a US Marine in 1979. While living in the US, Nigel fell on hard times.
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He said: "In 2019 I was living out of my car and somebody stole it. I lost everything I owned, every article of clothing.
"I had no money and called my cousins in Liverpool, they said yes come over. They (immigration officers) detained me for four or five hours. I showed them their website about how I got my British citizenship and that my mum is British and born here.
"I gave them her details, they accepted and let me in and gave me six months to sort out my British passport. My family has been in Toxteth for generations".
Nigel, 30, opened Oceanside Hawaiian BBQ, in December 2022, based in the Fly in the Loaf – in what used to be Kirklands nightclub on Hardman Street. Kirklands is remembered by many for being the home of soul and funk music in Liverpool from the 1970s to the 1990s.
Nigel said: "When I took on the partnership with Fly in the Loaf I had no idea the building had so much history. My mom actually used to go to Kirklands when she lived here.
"We're planning on bringing back the vibes and the people to awaken some of that nostalgia”.
Nigel met his partner Dominique in Liverpool, and she gave birth to their daughter Myla on February 23. He is determined to show his daughter and other youngsters that you can succeed in life after going through many struggles.
He added: "It's really important as where I grew up not having positive role models and someone to show you can do something different, that you can do anything. That’s the thing, we’re taught subconsciously by what we see that we don't have a lot of options.
"The images I grew up with were mainly negative of Black people in TV and media. It’s really important for me to show Black kids in this community they can do whatever they want".
Nigel said: "I decided to go with Hawaiian food because I wanted to share something new and unique and get people to explore their palates. The flavour profiles have influence from so many different cultures; Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Polynesian, European, Portuguese and Filipino.
“Being raised in Oceanside, we have a big Polynesian influence and Hawaiian food is some of my favourite to eat. My signature dish is Huli Huli Mix; lamb, beef macaroni salad and rice. Huli means turn in Hawaiian."
Nigel's mother-in-law, multi-talented artist, singer and rapper Nikki Blaze said: "I’m very proud of the work they've put into such a historical building and very excited for the delicious food being presented by Oceanside. He is a positive role model showing how people can turn their lives around.”
For information visit Instagram: OSide BBQ HERE
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