From The Clink to his own restaurant, 2210 by NattyCanCook will serve up refined Caribbean classics in Herne Hill

Gavin Hanly 09 September 2025

From The Clink to his own restaurant, 2210 by NattyCanCook brings refined Caribbean classics to Herne Hill

For a restaurant origin story that has a fully redemptive arc, look no further than upcoming Herne Hill opening 2210 by NattyCanCook. The chef behind it, Nathaniel Mortley has gone from working in Michelin-starred restaurants, then to prison and finally to his own opening in a little over a decade.

Born and raised in Peckham, Mortley's first jobs included working in the kitchens at Jason Atherton's City Social and The Art Club. However, he then fell into trouble, which ended up with a stay in HMP Brixton. He started working as a sous chef at the prison's The Clink restaurant (which employs inmates as staff), becoming pretty much a poster boy for how its work can help people turn their lives around. That stint reignited his cooking passion and, when he left, he reinvented himself with the pop up "NattyCanCook".

This, his first permanent restaurant, carries on the ideas from his previous pop-up, creating new and refined versions of Caribbean staples. If you've enjoyed his food before there's going to be a mix of returning hits and new dishes. Previous hits include warm roti served with whipped scotch bonnet butter, spring rolls filled with ackee and salted cod and jerk chicken supreme. New additions range from a confit turkey wing in a scotch bonnet glaze to a wiri wiri lamb rump.

Desserts also sound special with plantain cake with chocolate snow and - a must surely - deep-fried apple crumble on the menu. As for the drinks, there will be Caribbean-influenced cocktails and lots of rum on the list.

The name of the restaurant is a reference to an important date in his Grandmother's life. As Natty explains, the restaurant is "honouring my grandmother who was so important in my journey to being a chef."

Natty isn't done with The Clink either, staying as an ambassador for them, as they help other ex-offenders back into work and into careers in hospitality.

From The Clink to his own restaurant, 2210 by NattyCanCook brings refined Caribbean classics to Herne Hill