From pucks to tacos for MK legend turned entrepreneur

Milton Keynes, UK – It is a question every professional hockey player asks themselves towards the latter end of their career… what next? For Canadian hockey star and MK legend Nick Poole the future lies in a vintage Citroen van named Eddie and some tasty tacos.

Hands up who wants tacos!!! Pic: Jez Tibbetts

Poole first arrived in the UK exactly twenty years ago to make his bow for Manchester Storm in the Superleague.

Since then he has played for London, Peterborough, Fife and most notably of course Milton Keynes. His new venture ‘Baja Cantina’ started earlier this year and residents of Buckinghamshire may have already seen his distinctive blue van this summer at events across the area.

When the bright eyed Poole of 1996 stepped out on the tarmac at Heathrow he surely would never have imagined that the hockey contract he signed in his twenties would lead him to raising a family in the UK and starting his own business here;

‘I am really grateful for my hockey career and the friends I have met through the sport’ admitted the 43 year old Alberta native.

‘I have always had a hundred ideas in my head and never done anything about them as I have been so busy with hockey.’

‘So for me it is a relief now that I am finally pursuing some things outside the rink. I have been accepted into an entrepreneurial programme with NatWest which has been incredibly insightful and met so many inspiring people.’

Eddie in action

Poole’s passion for Mexican food led him to creating ‘Baja Cantina’ a mobile food van to take full advantage the explosion in popularity for street food in Britain.

As a Canadian surely the dream would be to serve poutine to the hungry Brits? But Poole has good reasons for snubbing the cheese and gravy and delivering tasty tacos and nachos to British mouths.

‘After university I went down to Mexico (Pacific side) most summers where my Mother has a place. I fell in love with the culture, people and food’ he explained.

‘I spent my days trying to learn how to surf and eating tacos! I always had a dream of owning a little taco shack on the beach. Baja Cantina has been an idea I have had for a while and when I stopped coaching MKL I felt the time was right.’

‘I love cooking. The beauty of Mexican food is it is very simple and really relies on fresh ingredients. It is social food and a lot can be eaten with just hands. Prawn/fish tacos are my favourite.’

Serving hot and tasty food is just part of the appeal of Baja Cantina, and with competitors vying for customers at events, Poole found the perfect vehicle to grab attention and give him an edge, whilst keeping with the pacific theme.

‘I wanted to find a good looking van that was eye catching’ said Poole.

‘I spent a lot of time looking and decided on the Citroën which I think look beautiful and have such a distinct look. I found a company that restored them and they did a great job delivering me the look I wanted.’

In between his time making Baja Cantina a firm favourite in the South of England, Poole continues to be GM of the EPL’s Milton Keynes Lightning, a club he reached legendary status with as both a player and a coach.

He also surprisingly signed up to play in the NIHL with MK Thunder last season and has committed to another season playing for them this year too. The bug hasn’t left Poole and he may be one of the older players in the league but he still has the class to make a big contribution for Coach Paul Gore.

‘I have signed with the Thunder and hope to play quite a few games as I really enjoyed it last year. However, I still am GM of MKL and I am committed to Saturday nights with Lightning and helping to deliver a great match night.’

So with Poole being a very busy man, it perhaps makes sense that he tries to combine some of his passions and that is what he is hoping to do.

‘Planet Ice are open to the idea of Baja Cantina operating on a match night which is brilliant of them. Hockey and tacos….. What could be better!.’

So there you have it, Nick Poole the player, GM, MK hockey legend and entrepreneur all in one.

You can catch Baja Cantina at a couple of big localism food and drink festivals over the coming weeks. Market Harborough on the 28th and 29th August and then the Big Olney Food Festival in September.