A Liverpool chef who has opened a business in the middle of the coronavirus pandemic has said "it is actually the best time" and has high hopes for the future.
Jerk an Juice, a takeaway restaurant on Windsor Street in Toxteth which serves African Caribbean fusion food and fresh juices opened its doors on Monday.
Chef John Sheen only got the keys to the former Cafe Loco a few days before he decided to open but wanted to move quickly to "do something positive" for his local area.
He said: "We literally just rushed it open, because people aren't feeling good and we wanted to do something positive in the area.
"My partner Kelly works a few doors up in the hairdressers Gem's, but they're shut at the moment and she's been helping me out."
John has long had a keen interest in cooking and is particularly interested in finding healthy ingredients for his dishes.
He added: "I've been cooking since I was 10. I'd be in the kitchen with my mum and say 'give me a pot to do'. I also do a lot of barbecues and family parties, and people have been saying for ages you should get somewhere and set up your own place.
"Food is very important to people, and we want to provide the local community with healthy and tasty food - to give back and strengthen the area.
"I'm very interested in the health benefit of different foods. It's important to put healthy things into your body."
John was keen to open up on Windsor Street in particular, an area that he has a sense of connection to. He wants to be part of a street that has begun to see something of a renaissance in recent years, with organisations such as Squash Nutrition, Toxteth TV and Firefit nearby.
John said: "I'd love to see more and more businesses open up on Windsor Street.
"I use the local butchers on the corner and a few other local suppliers. I think it's important to support local businesses where you get customer service bigger chains just can't provide, because they know you.
"I say let's bring the community back and give Toxteth some good things to talk about."
For John, opening from scratch has in some ways made it easier to put in place the required social distancing and hygiene measures from the outset. He has set aside separate areas for himself, his assistant chef and his partner Kelly Shaw, who has been helping out with serving customers.
John says they are continually disinfecting the premises throughout the day and the takeaway has a strict two-person limit.
Currently, customers can order via Instagram or pop into the shop, but John is hoping to get a delivery service up and going "very soon" and is optimistic about the future.
He added: "What keeps me going is my love of good food and because work is fun for me. I love cooking and Windsor Street - it's a good recipe for success."
