Fans are travelling for miles to try this mum’s Caribbean home-cooking recipes

Fans are travelling for miles to try traditional Caribbean dishes created from one mum’s home-cooking recipes.

Pixi’s Caribbean Flavas has sites in Warrington, Widnes and St Helens, with lovers of her food regularly travelling from Liverpool, Manchester and Cheshire.

Pixi Tenlinson, who originates from Jamaica, started cooking at the age of seven, taught by her own mother.

Now her family recipes are shared with hundreds of customers every week who visit the three restaurants named after her.

She says the idea to open the first restaurant in Warrington just over five years ago came from her two sons.

They knew their mother was talented, particularly with her innovative cooking skills and creativity in blending together ingredients, giving traditional Caribbean dishes a modern twist. 

Pixi’s sons encouraged her to use those techniques, honed through years of experience and experimenting, to come up with a menu that would bring something different to diners in the city region.

The Warrington restaurant on Bridge Street became a hit, getting rave reviews and building a loyal following on social media with dishes like curry goat and boneless mango curry chicken its stand-out best-sellers.

It wasn’t long before the family realised their business had the potential to keep growing.

“We were seeing a lot of people coming from around Liverpool and Manchester as well as locally, which surprised us at first, but the more people kept travelling the more we knew there was something special in the way the dishes are created,” adds Pixi.

“Customers tell us the taste feels homely, and you can tell it’s been cooked with love. The restaurants are beautifully decorated too because when we do anything we put our heart and soul into it, whether it’s the food or decoration, that’s why people come to us.”

Demand resulted in a second Pixi’s Caribbean Flavas restaurant opening in Widnes almost three years ago and a third in St Helens soon after.

Although the business has expanded, Pixi says the recipes and the consistency at each venue, as well as the shared passion of the staff, remain the same.

So, what is the secret to their success? The unique blend of ingredients is staying with Pixi, but marinading and a special grilling technique definitely play their part.

“The box meals which are marinated for 12 hours are especially popular,” she says. “Menu items such as lamb chops, jerk chicken on the bone, mango lime strips or jerk salmon go on the Caribbean lava rock charcoal grill which gives them a BBQ taste but better. 

“The fried items are truly something special too. The technique involved is slowly cooking the fried chicken and carefully battering it to allow the strips to be crunchy on the outside but soft and juicy in the inside. 

“We hear the fried chicken is better than big brands, but we won’t say any names!”

For more on Pixi’s Caribbean Flavas click here.

For more on food & drink around Liverpool City Region click here.