Being a successful chef is all Ana Paula Silva has ever wanted since she began cooking with her grandmother aged 15
The tragic death of Diogo Jota in the summer of 2025 continues to leave an unfillable void in the hearts of the friends and family that knew and loved him most. The legacy of the former Liverpool FC player reflects who he was as a person on the pitch, and in his personal life, acting as a constant reminder for why the city will never forget him.
There are touching tributes in memory of the Anfield favourite throughout Merseyside. Flags and scarves continue to be laid outside the stadium and murals of his much-loved smile and memorable celebration adorn walls of buildings across Liverpool. Inside the stadium, Liverpool fans rise and sing his chant on the 20-minute mark at every home game, in a nod to his shirt number. One small, but poignant tribute for Jota can be found inside Frevo Brunch Cafe on Hanover Street in Liverpool city centre . A picture of Jota and Frevo's head chef, Ana Paula Silva, stands alone on the counter of the cafe. The heartwarming image of them smiling together, is a stark contrast to the moving message written next to it: “The longing I feel will be eternalised. Diogo Jota. RIP.” Ana knew Jota and his wife Rute Cardoso like they were her own family. In early 2023, she was welcomed into their Blundellsands home for two years as their personal chef. She continued in this role until the untimely death of the Portuguese player and his brother Andre Silva in the fatal car crash in Spain. Although Ana had previous experience working with football stars, including former Reds Philippe Coutinho, Fabinho, and Roberto Firmino, it was by chance she became acquainted with the Jota family. A decorator for the family happened to be a friend of the chef and had put a good word in with Rute. Ana, who is from Brazil but has also lived in Portugal, communicated with the family in Portuguese and formed a deep connection with them. She was employed by the couple after serving up a number of dishes in their kitchen during an informal interview process. She recalled Rute calming her nerves as the trial happened, reminding her “no pressure, no pressure”, as Jota adopted a more laid back approach away from the kitchen as he allowed his wife to take charge. Ana told the Liverpool ECHO that the family were “simple” when it came to food, meaning she could put heart, soul and passion into everything she placed on the dinner table. She said: “This is everything for me, and I love it, it’s important. This is good food. I made everything, all the different foods because he loved Italian and Spanish cuisine.” Due to the busy location of Frevo Cafe , Jota never visited in person. Ana said: “I talked to Diogo about one year ago, and said ‘you come to the cafe’. He gently let her down as he responded: “Oh Ana, oh chef”, before addressing her by his nickname for her, “the masterchef”. Instead, Jota and Rute enjoyed the talented chef from Monday to Friday in their own home. Ana worked long 12-hour shifts on the weekend at Frevo, with help from family members including her daughter Luka Noto and husband Jose. The pressure of juggling two roles was nothing new for Ana, who has been in the culinary business for more than three decades. She found a passion for cooking at the age of 15 and her determination and passion has led to a stellar career. Inspiration was initially taken from watching her grandmother cooking in their kitchen back home in Portugal. The aspiring chef began cooking different cuisines and practiced by cutting recipes and pictures from newspapers and magazines to try and replicate for her family at dinnertime. In 1993 at the age of 25, Ana opened a small restaurant in the north of Brazil. The restaurant was open for three years before she began a new job in Rio De Janeiro to help out with another family business. After finding success in the kitchens of Brazil, Ana decided to move to Portugal in 2000 where she lived for 10 years and eventually met her husband, Jose. However, the severe economic crisis that engulfed Portugal between 2009 and 2016 proved to be devastating, with high unemployment and rising government debt leading many to leave the country. Ana, Jose and daughter Luka, who Ana had from a previous marriage, started a new life in the UK in 2010. The couple found jobs in Centre Parcs Whinfell Forest, where Jose’s cousin worked, and they lived in nearby Carlisle. Ana worked at the on-site Bella Italia restaurant for six months as they settled into a new life and culture. However, the family felt they had more to offer in the UK, and began looking at major cities. An apartment that they were staying in when Jose’s family came to visit marked a turning point for Ana and Jose. As Jose said: “I opened the curtains and I saw from one side the Albert Dock and then I went to the other side and looked at the other views.” After being indecisive about which UK city to move to after leaving Carlisle, Ana asked her husband: “Oh my God. Are we going to choose here? Come on, come on, let's choose Liverpool.' In 2013, the move to Liverpool was completed and the family reflect on it as a decision that they will never regret. They described pieces of the city “living” in them all. Some of the jobs Ana has enjoyed in the two decades of being in the region include as a chef in Fazenda, Byron Burgers, Rio Brazil and even for the NHS. Being a chef is all Ana has ever wanted since those early years in her grandmother’s Brazilian kitchen, to making food for footballers and their families. She said: “This is my life. This is for my grandmother, this is for my mum. It’s very important to me when a customer tries my food, looks me in the face and compliments it. “When they try the food and come back and see you, I am proud. I love it and I love people. I am happy if the customer is happy. It is a good feeling inside, I love cooking, it’s very important and it comforts people. I talk to the customers in the street and they recognise me when I am doing my shopping.” Frevo Cafe originally opened in August 2024 as Maria Tapioca, to offer a unique brunch experience where “Brazil meets Europe” with handmade tapioca, classic couscous, acai, and other local dishes. The dream became a reality when Ana and her 38-year-old daughter walked down Hanover Street and realised the former establishment, Malmo, was closing. Luka encouraged her mum to head inside and enquire about the space at the reception, and one week later, a hopeful Ana was inside the empty location with a range of homemade food for the general manager to try. It was a nerve-wracking time for Ana when the cafe first opened as she wasn’t sure how it would go and she had left her position at Waterloo ’s Rio Brazil. She said: “This cafe wasn’t all for me. It is for the community.' The family pride themselves on being able to serve food they make at home in their Brazilian style kitchen and offer it to customers. Luka told the ECHO: “You can just ask my mum what you want and she will just do it, the hard way. If you want a tropical salad with prawns, nice sauce and everything, she will say ‘I can do it’ and she will make it quickly.' The hard work that came with being a chef in a city centre cafe didn’t stop Ana from working with Jota and Rute . Luka reflected on the 24 months her mum spent with the family. She said: “Everyday I would ring my mum and ask where she was and ‘I’m at Diogo’s house would be the answer’.” Ana added: “This family is very important to me, they are very friendly. Monday to Friday I would start at 4pm and finish around midnight or 1am. I cooked food everyday but it was normal. I made soup and proper food, Portuguese food, he loved it. “I remember Diogo loved the bruschetta, I would make it because it was his favourite.” He also loved Ana’s salmon recipe. From the starter to the menu and the dessert, Ana explained that the service offered in the restaurant was what she wanted the family to receive. She said: “What I make in the restaurant I will make in your home.” Ana often worked seven days a week when Jota was playing at home. When away fixtures came up or Champions League matches, she would have a day off. However, she preferred being with the family and missed them when they travelled. The 57-year-old chef said the family welcomed her into their home with “kindness, love and friendliness'. Her daughter described Ana as “part of them” as she was in their house more than her own house. Ana stays in contact with Rute and her family. She said: “I’m a mum, Diogo and Rute were young and they were like family. I talked to them all the time, I sent messages and I talked to the boys .' The young boys would tell her “Ana, I don’t like this” and she would reply “come on boy, you are eating my soup because you want to be very strong.” Ana smiled as she looked back on memories, before sharing: “The family and Jota. They are everything to me. They loved spending time together at home with their children. They would sit around the dinner table together and eat together.' At times, Ana would join them at their dinner table. She had been messaging the family after they jetted off to Porto for their magical wedding day in June 2025. Everything seemed as normal when she was awaiting their return to the UK. On the tragic day Jota died, the chef had been shopping and was working in Frevo when she received the heartbreaking news. Jose called on what seemed to be an ordinary Thursday morning. He said: “Ana, are you OK? Are you in the cafe? Please have a seat.” He told his wife and her daughter to look at the news. Her reaction was: “No way, no.' She said. 'It was very shocking. I couldn’t believe it, I cried a lot, I couldn’t stop crying.' Luka said: 'She was so very close to the family. Imagine you have a house and you have someone who comes into your home everyday to take care of you and your children. She was close to the children. She did everything with love.' Ana is certain she will always be there for Rute. Whenever the 29-year-old returned to Merseyside, Ana left Frevo Cafe and went straight to her home to see how she was doing and to offer a friendly face. Although Rute has now moved back to Portugal with her children, this hasn't marked the end of the strong friendship. Ana regularly returns to Portugal, where her husband was born, and will be visiting Rute later this year . The connection she shared with the couple has given Ana 'more love' for Merseyside, as she cherishes the memories she made with them. A special place for Jota, Rute and their children will always live on inside of Ana and Frevo Cafe. A new menu item will honour his memory and allow people to understand him more as a person. Ana said: 'We are going to make a special toast in honour of Jota and something he really liked, it will be called FOREVER 20.' The toast will feature on the new and upcoming menu. Ana made the toast for Jota regularly, with the ingredients of cured salmon, cream cheese and flavoured olive oil served on sourdough. The chef said: “I want people to know more about the passion that goes into the food and I want to keep this business going forever. 'I want people to visit because they love the food and the friendly atmosphere. The cafe is a little, warm spot, in town. People come into the cafe and feel at home, they can sit and relax. They can sit at any table.” Luka spoke about the cafe and the culture the family have tried to create. She said: 'I can see from the reviews that people feel at home, they feel the warmth from the staff and they can see it’s a family independent business. 'I love the energy of the coffee shop and to me, it offers peace and when you have finished eating you can stay in your own gear and relax.' Ana now works in the cafe six days a week, with the family now having Thursday as a day to 'reset' and recover. Talking about her mum, Luka added: 'She is very emotional, very sensitive and she prays for everything. She has a lovely heart, she wants to see everyone happy.'
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