Bloom Time

Friday 26 April 2024

83 Dalston Lane, London (map)

In April, we celebrated the start of spring and new beginnings with our Bloom Time event. We welcomed 21 guests for another wonderful evening at Mike’s Table, a mix of both familiar faces and new guests, all of whom were referred by our charity partners.

About the event

It was still light outside as guests slowly trickled into 83 Dalston Lane, greeted with warmth and hospitality by our dedicated front-of-house team. Coats were taken and guests were offered a choice of welcome drink: either a glass of Triennes Rosé wine or Apple, Raspberry, and Rose Pressé. As they settled in at our long table, conversation flowed freely, and everyone who joined us became friends by the end of the evening. It was a full house, with every seat filled!

L, H, and 10-year-old G arrived just as starters were being served, after travelling from West London to join us. G was the youngest guest of the evening, and she brought so much joy, energy, and enthusiasm with her. It was the family’s first experience of Mike’s Table, and we hope it’s the first of many to come. Another guest N shared that he thought he was just coming to Mike’s Table for just food. However, as the evening unfolded, he said he realised that an evening at Mike’s Table is in fact so much more.

The only pause in lively conversation was after the arrival of the main course: a choice between Monkfish and Prawn Stew or Mushroom Ragù. At that moment, the room hushed as guests enjoyed a plate of truly exquisite food. It was a testament to the incredible talent and creativity of our professional chefs!

Following tradition, we held a raffle just before dessert, made even more special by the generous contributions from our friends at Rio Cinema and Hotel Chocolat. It was a moment filled with joy and laughter. M and E were the lucky winners of the pair of cinema tickets to Rio Cinema, who met through the befriending scheme at Host Nation, and whose friendship has blossomed since. We are delighted that they can enjoy the cinema tickets together.

Thank you to our dedicated team of volunteers, who work tirelessly to make Mike’s Table a memorable experience for every guest who joins us. Our wonderful kitchen team, led by Andi and Simon, crafted a delicious, restaurant-quality, 3-course menu, with the helping hands of T, Alan, and Daniel (our beloved Pudding Man). Louise, Fran, and Meggie led on front-of-house, creating a truly unique restaurant-quality dining experience, whilst ensuring that every guest feels welcome.

Thank you to our friends at City Harvest, who donated a wonderful range of unique, high-quality ingredients for our chefs to craft a delicious meal. The food is always within its use-by date and would otherwise be thrown away.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Bloom Time at Mike's Table! We look forward to welcoming you again soon.

The Team

Kitchen: Andi, Simon, Daniel, T, and Alan

Front of House: Fran, Louise, and Meggie

Our Partners

As ever, we couldn’t do it without you:

Room to Heal Compassionate Neighbours Prisoners Aboard Carers Network

Migrants Organise Nova New Host Nation

Many thanks to our Food & Drink Donators:

City Harvest Uncharted Wines Hotel Chocolat

With generous donations from:

Rio Cinema

Kind words from our guests

“I just wanted to say a big thank you for the invite on Friday. We both had a fantastic evening it was lovely to meet you as well again thank you all the work you all do is amazing.”

“Can only say thank you for a fabulous night with fabulous people.”