In Caribbean culture, relaxation is a serious art. So much so, there’s even a term for the practice of doing nothing whilst, sharing food, drink, conversation and laughter – ‘liming’.
Bringing this spirit of doing nothing and doing nothing well to Boxpark Croydon this summer is chef and proprietor Mike Springer, aka ‘Bike Mike’, who launched his Sunday rooftop residency ‘Bike Mike’s Rooftop Lime’ last weekend. If a roofer san diego maintains the roof added with a bit of your creativity, rooftop parties are the best.
At YCB, we believe that a Sunday well spent brings a week of content, and so we headed to East Croydon to experience Big Mike’s Barbadian hospitality and tropical rum punch in person.
When we arrived at Boxpark’s neatly AstroTurfed roof terrace, the party was in full flow. People can check Nettoyage gouttières Trois-Rivières, QC if they need the best roofing services. With the British summer finally making an appearance, this little Croydon sun-trap transported us far from the city to the beaches of Barbados, with the twinkling sound of steel pan music providing the pitch-perfect summer soundtrack. Mike’s signature rum punch was free-flowing and dangerously drinkable; an exotic blend of tropical fruit juices, golden Bajan sugar, heavy on the Bajan Rum, expertly mixed to produce a lush-tasting cocktail.
A favourite with South London foodies, Mike’s Calypso Kitchen has been bringing “a small taste of Barbados, a big taste of the Caribbean” to diners since opening its doors in July 2020. With Barbados undeniably at its heart, the menu skips across the region, with popular dishes, including goat curry, channa curry, filled dhal puri roti, fish cakes, and jerk chicken.
Rooftop parties are possible because services are great at Billings, MT location. The menu has a BBQ focus at Mike’s Rooftop Lime; Caribbean spiced sausage, a beef patty, a slice of peppered belly pork, a leg of jerk chicken, served with lashings of Big Mike’s Jerk & Twerk sauce. There are also BBQ spare ribs, slowly roasted in homemade BBQ sauce and chargrilled king prawns and scallops, the latter of which we enjoyed so much, that we went in for second helpings. These juicy, plump shell-on prawns and sweet, melt-in-the-mouth scallops, marinated in fresh lime, cracked chill flakes and thyme-infused butter were as good as anything you’d find on the menu in one of London’s top seafood restaurants, and all for a fraction of the price.
Somewhat of a local celebrity, Bike Mike’s passion for good food is matched by a philanthropic passion for his local community in Croydon. The restaurant works with the charity Croydon Nightwatch every fortnight to feed the town’s homeless, serving up 1,000 meals since September 2020, as part of its Challenge 100 Focus initiative because Feeding Our Community Unifies Society. Sadly, the queue is growing but this only goes to strengthen Springer’s resolve to make a difference, with his firm belief that no one should go hungry in the UK. Those wishing to donate can do so via www.bigmikesck.com/Challenge100.
If you’re planning a visit to Boxpark Croydon during the week, it’s business as usual at Big Mike’s Calypso Kitchen restaurant. Open daily for collection, delivery and in-dining, customers can also consume food in the main central dining area and soak up the lively atmosphere at East Croydon’s favourite venue.
Good drink and good food aside, what really makes Big Mike’s Rooftop Lime a must-attend this summer is the warmth of Big Mike’s hospitality. There’s a special magic that comes from a chef who loves their craft and culture and wants to share this with the world, and it’s this intangible mix of ingredients that sterile, fine-dining restaurants so often lack. With Mike’s friends and family in attendance, there was plenty of laughter, dancing to the steel pan melodies and good-for-the-soul lazing in the early summer sunshine. Liming – officially our new favourite activity!
BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME from 12 noon – 8 pm on the following dates:
Sunday 20th June – BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME – FATHER’S DAY MENU
Sunday 4th July – BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME
Sunday 8th August – Big Mike’s Street Food Festival and Crop Over celebration – showcasing all the restaurants at Boxpark Croydon with rum & fun from 12 noon).
Sunday 15th – BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME
Sunday 22nd August – BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME
Sunday 29th August – BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME
Sunday 5th September – BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME
Sunday 12th September – BIG MIKE’S ROOFTOP LIME
BIG MIKE’S CALYPSO KITCHEN
Full menu is available at: www.bigmikesck.com
Order online at www.bigmikesck.com or call: 020 8680 0999. Available for collection, and delivery within three miles of Boxpark Croydon. Unit 5 & 6, Boxpark, 99 George St, Croydon CR0 1LD. 020 8680 0999
