“We are a restaurant unapologetic about how we use, spices, herbs and roots to achieve massive flavour! We take everything we like about traditional Caribbean cooking and pair it with some modern techniques to produce what is; Island restaurant food.
Four years ago I asked the question, ‘could we bring delicious Caribbean food to Manchester in a way that had never been done before; big taste, top service and an exciting atmosphere with consistent food…
My dad taught me how to roast and grind spices giving me a wealth of knowledge in how and where to use them. My mum grew all our vegetables on the allotment down the road. She’d bring them back and teaching me how to cook with them as soon as I could reach the kitchen top. To this day fruit, vegetables and spices play a pivotal role in all the dishes and drinks we make. From there 15 years of cooking in restaurants in Manchester gave me a sense of what wasn’t on offer and I realised my dream, A relaxed, professional spice experience; The Drop Bar Cafe.
The last four years have been a pursuit of consistency. Caribbean cooking by its very nature can be a slow process. Some traditional skills you just must use . At the same time, the chefs and I have refined some modern skills and rely on them in much the same way to allow us to achieve this consistency for ten hours a day seven days a week, a challenge we’ve learnt to embrace.
The Drop serves as an institution for some of our patrons which has cemented our place in our community. This is more than we ever set out to do. Four years on we have over 1000, five star reviews and are only getting better at what we do. The support we’ve received has been unbelievable, may it long continue. Thank you and hope to see you soon!”
Jim Gill - Founder and Head Chef
