Long Winter Table
Friday 30 January 2026
83 Dalston Lane, London (map)
Last Friday was our first supper club of 2026, held at our usual Dalston venue We were looking forward to a familiar, cosy evening, welcoming 20 lovely guests but what the evening had in store for us was something quite different - yet no less wonderful.
About the event
It was dark and drizzly outside but in our lovely Dalston home the table was beautifully laid, the lights dimmed, and our chefs were busy preparing a delicious three-course meal. As the new Programme Manager I was really excited for my first event. Everything was running smoothly and we welcomed new volunteer Jane, chatting through how the evening would unfold. Soon after Jane arrived, about forty five minutes before our guests were due - the lights went out! There was a building-wide power cut, so none of the cooking equipment was working, there was no hot water and no immediate solution. The whole team stayed miraculously calm, and we quickly lit candles, put our phone torches on and made a plan.
Guests began to arrive, happy to escape the rain and cold, and loved that our candlelit room looked so welcoming. We offered everyone a welcome drink with plenty of snacks laid out too, and explained that tonight would be a very different type of Mike’s Table! For several people, it was their first time, but fortunately they said that it all felt really welcoming and inviting, despite the strange circumstances. Soon, there was a buzz of conversation as the long table filled with invited guests. Meanwhile, in the semi-dark kitchen the team were assembling goody boxes of ready-to-cook meals for guests to take home with them. Of course, we still did our free raffle, with prizes including a scented candle, chocolate truffles, a herbal tea set and a beautiful handknitted woollen scarf (lovingly made and donated by Debbie). Despite their postponed dinner, many guests still stayed until 10pm, enjoying the wonderful conversation and as they left, they choose their take-home packages. We’re excited to hear about how everyone ‘cheffed up’ what they took.
Thank you so much to our dedicated team of volunteers, and a big thank you to everyone who joined us at our Long Winter Table Supper Club. Everyone was really understanding and flexible and we couldn’t have done it without all of you. We look forward to more supper clubs in 2026!
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…
Welcome Drinks and Nibbles:
Cava or non-alcoholic amber digestif with soda water
Sourdough bread from Eataly with beetroot salsa and tortilla chips with houmous
Takeaway Starter boxes:
Brussels paté or whole mozzarella with crudities
Takeaway Ready-to-cook Main Course boxes:
Sweetcorn, coconut and chilli pasta bake with rocket salad
Fillet steak, jacket potato and mixed vegetable stir-fry
Takeaway Dessert boxes:
Chocolate profiteroles
Cherry bakewell tart
Tropical fruit salad
The Team
Kitchen: Andi, Yintong, Eleanor and Philippa
Front of House: Jane, Louise, and Georgie
Our Partners
As ever, we couldn’t do it without you:
Carers Network HostNation Hackney Herbal Medaille Trust New Art Studio Nova New Opportunities Prisoners Abroad Refugees At Home
Many thanks to our Food & Drink Donors:
City Harvest Uncharted Wines
Kind words from our guests
"There aren’t many restaurants where you walk in and end up hugging everyone."
“The organisers are such lovely people! They have a real gift for making everyone feel welcome and for creating a truly convivial atmosphere so that nobody feels awkward or left out. Imagine sitting down at a long table with a bunch of perfect strangers! For many people including myself this sounds awkward, bordering on scary. I’ve no idea how they do it but minutes later everyone becomes relaxed and chatty! Something in the air, perhaps?”
