A Peckham chef who went from drug-dealing and prison to opening his own restaurant in Herne Hill has won two awards for his culinary talent.
Nathaniel Mortley, 32, managed to turn his life around after going from drug dealing and prison to going viral on social media and opening his own restaurant in October 2025.
The Peckham-born chef served a two and a half year prison sentence in 2019 for drug offences but used the time inside to train at Brixton Prison’s Clink restaurant.
Since his release four years ago, Nathaniel, who was Michelin-trained before going to prison and had worked in some of London’s top restaurants, found viral fame on social media with an Instagram following of more than 70,000.
For seven months he ran the kitchen of the Greyhound pub in Peckham, which led to him being tipped as “One to Watch” in Condé Nast Traveller’s 2025 UK Top New Restaurant Awards.
Now, he is running his own restaurant in Herne Hill, 2210 by NattyCanCook, which serves up Caribbean-inspired dishes and is now recognised in the Michelin Guide.
Signature dishes include Ackee & Saltfish Spring Rolls, Jerk Chicken Supreme, and Wiri Wiri Lamb Rump, with prices varying from around £11 for most starters to between £22-34 for a main course.
At the Be Inclusive Hospitality (BIH) Awards on Monday (12 October) The Peckham chef was awarded the People’s Choice Person of the Year Award and the Best Caribbean food award.
Now in its fifth year, the BIH Awards brought together 300 people from across the hospitality industry at Quaglino’s in Mayfair to celebrate the achievements of Black and ethnic minority talent.
Winners were announced across 16 categories, covering chefs, restaurants, pubs, drinks professionals, brands, cuisines, people leaders and writers.
This year’s winners were selected through a judging process involving an independent panel of leading hospitality figures.
