Mike’s Table X Plateful Cafe
Sunday 16 February 2025
On Sunday, we welcomed guests at Mike’s Table for our first event of the year. This time, we hosted a supper club in partnership with Plateful Cafe, a South-East London charity dedicated to creating opportunities for refugee chefs. From the start, we knew this collaboration would be something truly special, given our shared passion for bringing people together through food. Set in the historic Brixton Windmill, the only working flour mill in London, 36 guests enjoyed a delicious vegetarian, Sudanese-inspired 3-course meal.
About the event
The atmosphere was buzzing as guests arrived. Guests were greeted with the warm hospitality of our team, taking everyone’s coats and offering a welcome drink. Many guests, even locals, had no idea there was a windmill in Brixton, delighted to discover this hidden gem. The space truly blew everyone away. We were treated to the unique jazz sound of Rudi Creswick, a local bassist and artist, and saxophonist and singer Kaidi Akinnibi, who played live music throughout the evening. We’re always amazed to see how quickly guests settle in, many of whom have arrived solo. Our hosts ensured everyone felt comfortable and welcome, fostering a sense of community from the start. Everyone slowly took their seats at the table, continuing the buzz of conversation. All guests ate together, making new connections and sharing stories over food.
Guests were blown away by the exquisite feast created by our chefs. Maysoon, Manizha, and Bahara from Plateful Cafe created flavourful samosas and koshari, whilst Andi and Simon from Mike’s Table treated guests to a sweet potato, coconut and chilli soup with flatbread, and a roasted vegetable tagine with jewelled couscous. Many guests were keen to try everything, requesting half portions of each dish. Our chefs were happy to accommodate, ensuring everyone enjoyed all the delicious food. For dessert, Maysoon showcased her delectable baking with a valentine’s cake. As well as being a chef for Plateful Cafe, Maysoon also runs a successful baking venture called Nubian Delights (take a look at her Instagram!).
As always, we hosted our free raffle.We had some wonderful donations from Plateful Cafe and Brixton Windmill, featuring a handmade tea towel and whole wheat flour from the mill, as well as some chocolates. Guests were absolutely delighted – thank you for your generosity! Our pair of guests from Host Nation won the flour, sharing that they’re going to bake a cake together with the flour.
Plateful Cafe runs a catering training programme, helping chefs who have experienced forced migration build valuable experience in the sector in London. They ensure fair pay, offering a London living wage to all their chefs. They also sell a range of incredible handmade goods, which guests were able to buy on the night. Until recently, they ran a cafe in Deptford, showcasing the talent of their chefs. Now, they are searching for a new kitchen space, where they can take their food to the next level. The evening fostered incredible connections, especially between our refugee guests and the team from Plateful Cafe. This could be the start of an exciting journey for any aspiring chef.
Thank you to everyone who made this event so special, both to our wonderful guests and team of volunteers!
A special thank you to Iolanda for all your work in making this evening such a success. Thank you to the Brixton Windmill for welcoming our community, and to Plateful Cafe for being such a wonderful team to collaborate with. And thanks to JKS Restaurants for the delicious kombucha donated for guests to enjoy.
Thank you to Rudi Creswick and Kady for your beautiful jazz. Thank you to the social media team from Plateful Cafe for capturing the evening! Thank you to Adela from Plateful Cafe for designing the menu!
The Menu
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. Here’s the menu from the night…
The Team
Kitchen: Andi, Maysoon, Manizha, Simon, Bahara, and Alan
Front of House: Louise, Meggie, Mala, Tejan, Louis, Iolanda, Pete and Evelyn
Photography: Erica, Alex, Laura and Matteo
Our Partners
As ever, we couldn’t do it without you:
Room to Heal Nova New Opportunities Carers Network
Prisoners Abroad Host Nation Brixton Windmill
Many thanks to our Food & Drink Donors:
City Harvest Uncharted Wines JKS Restaurants
Many thanks to our Raffle Donors:
Brixton Windmill Plateful Cafe
Kind words from our guests
“Thanks so much for making my birthday at Mike’s Table really special. We all had a great night, fantastic food, people, music and venue!”
