Anyone in the market for holiday vibes close to home may have stumbled across Castle Street’s BoBo.
It’s not exactly a foreign excursion but it boasts all the traditional flavours of Spain and Portugal any food or wine lover would recognise. From charcoal grills to all the wine you can shake a sangria jug at, there’s a range of delicious options in what may well be Liverpool’s cosiest wine bar.
BoBo launched in Liverpool just before the Covid pandemic ravaged the hospitality sector but its owners, Steven Burgess, 37, and Josh Moore, 32, managed to weather the storm.
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In just a few days’ time, they will launch BoBo’s second venue in Wirral’s West Kirby. The pair have gone through multiple business journeys together but their friendship dates back to 2010 when they worked together as chefs in a Crosby restaurant.
Steven told the ECHO: “We really hit it off. I could see the talent in Josh. I was more of a senior chef than Josh who was a talented young chef at the time.”
They eventually moved on from Crosby to follow independent ventures, setting up their own businesses, venues and consultancy agencies. Steven and Josh remained friends over the years but a stroke of luck meant they would soon be working at each other’s side once again.
Steven was the managing director at Northern Fields, a company he founded, catering for everyone from celebrities to business organisations. While in the market for a director to hop on board, he decided Josh was the perfect fit.
Steven said: “It happened naturally. We worked together for years and bonded really well. I needed support at Northern Fields and I just asked Josh if he’d join us.”
With the business partnership back on, the pair went on to create Lucky Penny in 2018 which would see them launch restaurants and bars for clients all over the region such as Love Lane Brewery and Blind Tiger. It was a steady progression that saw them both decide they wanted to build their own brand following years in the industry that they could call their own.
Steven added: “We wanted to lay some roots down in regards to our own results and see them come to fruition. We wanted to showcase what our skillset could do. The site for BoBo came up in early 2020 and we opened in September.
“We were in early stages [when the pandemic hit] so we had very little debt so it helped us in a way, but we didn’t have the chance to get a lot of traction or guests to establish ourselves. We had to work a lot harder. It made us better off in the long run because nothing was taken for granted.”
With a site already well established on Castle Street, Steven and Josh are ready to open their second location in Wirral on August 17. Steven said: “With BoBo in Liverpool we wanted to stand out from the crowd and be different and that’s what we are aiming for in West Kirby. BoBo in Liverpool has won a reputation for being fun and laid back but with a premium on the experience of everyone who walks through the door and delivering great service for our guests.
“BoBo West Kirby will also have those elements as well as a menu that reflects our passion for Iberian cuisine, where food is akin to religion.”
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