Ipswich cafe set to gain a Cult following

Mike Keen is a familiar face on Suffolk’s foodie scene.

With a serious passion for good food and drink and a penchant for local produce, the Ipswich-based chef has built up a strong following in the area and has become an integral part of the close knit circle of suppliers, producers and restaurateurs operating in the county.

This year has been another busy one for Mike and his wife Georgie, who always seem to be taking on new projects or experimenting with different ideas.

As well as celebrating their fourth year at The Brewery Tap - the gastropub on Cliff Road which has helped cement their status in the area - and the continued success of their outside catering business, the pair have also opened up a new café in the space that was once Kai Bar on the Waterfront.

Cult Café is a fun and friendly eatery, pitched perfectly at the student market (but open to the general public too), with an interesting American diner-style menu.

Just a few steps from the main university building, and within easy reach of the town, it enjoys an envious position on the Ipswich Waterfront and a fantastic view.

Inside, it exudes a funky, fresh student vibe with a quirky interior design. Mismatched chairs of different sizes and styles sit alongside shabby chic bookcases, a vintage record player and unusual statues. There’s even a pair of legs sticking out from one comfortable arm chair.

Although it’s only just noon when I arrive to meet Mike, the café is already thriving with people and there seems to be a real buzz about the place.

Looking around, Mike said he’s pleased with how the interior has turned out and paid tribute to his wife’s hard work.

“When we came in we changed all the décor,” he said. “We just came in and got all these weird and wonderful sofas and quirky things. It’s meant to feel like someone’s living room. If you’re a student, you don’t want to walk in somewhere and feel like you have to spend £40 – you want to feel like you can relax with just a drink for as long as you want.”

The Kai Bar closed at Christmas after facing difficult trading conditions and posting significant losses, and Mike is keen to ensure this does not happen to Cult Café.

He believes his experience of managing numerous businesses – and the mistakes he’s learnt from along the way – will help ensure the café’s longevity.

Of course, a cool and funky interior and a good location can only go so far, and that’s why Mike has paid particular attention to the menu at Cult Café.

Its offerings match the café’s fun and friendly atmosphere and feature burgers, salads, wraps, noodles, hotdogs and lunchbox snacks.

Homemade fare takes centre stage and much is influenced by the food Mike tasted when travelling around America and Asia.

At Cult Café, diners can sample buffalo wings with blue cheese dip and carrots, an ants on trees wrap, wafu chicken and avocado salad or hot and spicy pork noodles.

Mike is particularly proud of the homemade hot dogs on offer, which are available straight up, as a chilli dog or as a die werken.

“You can’t beat a good hot dog,” he said. “But there’s always the worry when you’re eating it about what’s gone into it – whether it’s eyelashes or something random. So I researched how to make them,” he said.

“The burgers are all homemade too and the chips are hand cut,” he added. “And the noodle dishes are fantastic. When I was in Singapore there were some really interesting sauces – you don’t just have to stick with the same kind of sauce.”

Local produce is key to Mike’s vision and he uses it throughout the menu.

“Every region in England has got a really good, fiercely passionate bunch of foodies who try to push their local food and it’s certainly the case in Suffolk. You just have to go to Aldeburgh (Food and Drink Festival) and you can see hundreds of different producers who are so passionate about it. It makes our life a bit harder because instead of just going to one company for everything we have to go to about 20 for all our different bits – the pork, the guinea fowl, the veg, but that’s part of what we do,” he said.

“People are a hell of a lot more savvy about their food now. They want to know where the food comes from and they can come in here and see that.”

It’s the same with the drink.

“We got rid of all the Carlsbergs and that sort of beer when we came here and now we’ve got seven different English lagers on the bar. It’s all local.

“I’m so cynical about the massive corporations. The products from the smaller people may be more expensive but they’ve got all the history behind them and they’re from people who work really hard for the love of it.”

Having worked as manager at Jimmy’s Farm for a spell in the late 2000s, Mike got to know many of the suppliers and producers working in the area, but his love of locally-produced fare dates much further back.

In his younger years, Mike spent time living in places such as Saudi, Germany, America and New Zealand. He also worked in London for a time and for a catering operation on a cruise liner sailing around Asia.

“When I was travelling I always went to the markets to find out what was local. All the street food was amazing,” he enthused, adding that he’s proud to be supporting local businesses in Suffolk.

Initial feedback suggests the café is already gaining a cult following and Mike is determined to keep momentum going.

He’s currently organising an extensive programme of live music at the café and has many skilled musicians lined up for future gigs, including the venue’s resident guitarist Tom McConnell.