Nathan Weyers

KNOWN FOR:

Being a restauranteur in HCMC for the last 8 years working for AFG and High Tide. In 2020 I founded ‘Blerry Lekka’ with my partner. We make and sell homemade saucy, meaty, puff pastry pies and South African air-dried beef (aka Biltong).

I’ve always loved being in a kitchen and creating interesting flavors for people to enjoy. My first job in hospitality was at the tender age of 14 and I studied hospitality with the dream of becoming a chef. I put that dream to one side as I literally couldn’t handle the heat in the kitchen. In SA we never had aircon and if it was 35 degrees C outside, it was 50 degrees C in the kitchen!

I made it to chef de partie and was happy with that, but personally, I felt like I needed more! I gained experience working in front of the house where it was cooler and I could interact with customers.

I took a side step and worked in sales and marketing for a corporate company for 5 years, but felt lost in the system, and missed my trade. Even my subconscious was telling me to do something as I’d have recurring dreams of white, sandy beaches and coconut trees.

So, I was inspired to take a job in Nha Trang in 2007 to gain some international experience and I’ve never really looked back. Over the years I’ve discovered some new and interesting, and some not-so-interesting foods.

When the first COVID-19 wave came in March 2020 I was quarantined for 14 days, then life presented me with an opportunity to turn an idea of mine into something and I started BLERRY LEKKA PIES which has progressed to LEKKA FOODS. I love bringing flavors that I have grown up with to people here in HCMC and Vietnam.

My day starts around 7:30 am with at least 2 cups of coffee and carries on until the last order is done. We work according to pre-orders so there is a starting point and you just keep going until you’ve sent the last order out! I love it.