From pop-ups to the Harbourfront Centre and now Kensington Market, Bim Street Eats has been spreading the soul of Bajan food across Toronto.
Focused on the flavours of Barbados, Bim Street Eats is the brainchild of chef Aiko Rudder-Jones, a young entrepreneur who moved to Toronto in 2013. While she initially planned to pursue soccer (or football, as she calls it), she soon found her true passion in sharing the authentic cuisine she grew up with.
“When I moved here there was no place I would really find food that I would get in Barbados,” she says. “I find a big way to have a piece of home is by eating food that you grew up with and that means a lot to you. That’s where the inspiration [for Bim Street Eats] came from — the fact there’s no Bajan restaurants in Toronto.”
Before launching Bim Street Eats while studying culinary management at George Brown College, Rudder-Jones says she was “lucky” to make connections that led to cooking at events for high-profile figures, including the President of Barbados, Michelle Obama and Drake.
When the pandemic hit in 2020, Rudder-Jones dove headfirst into the business, taking online orders, catering events and hosting pop-ups to share her love of Bajan street food. That momentum eventually led her to a summer-long run at Harbourfront Centre in 2025.
Now at 210 Augusta Avenue, Rudder-Jones’ soulful menu features classics like macaroni pie, BBQ pig tails, crispy fishcakes and fried breadfruit — a starchy tropical fruit and Caribbean staple. Plan your visit for a Saturday to catch pudding and souse, traditionally served on that day of the week.
“Pudding and souse is something you have in burritos every Saturday. It’s sold out by mid-day depending on where you go around the island,” explains Rudder-Jones. “It’s very, very, very popular.”
The cuisine can be paired with traditional drinks including the coconut punch and mauby, a bittersweet drink made from the bark of a tree.
While the Kensington Market stall is just one step toward opening a full restaurant, Rudder-Jones says she’s been thrilled by the response so far.
“People are really excited to get a taste of Barbados in the city,” she says. “I get a lot of support not just from Bajans, but from people across the Caribbean. A lot of Canadians know Barbados, too. I meet plenty who’ve vacationed there and are happy to come back and get a little taste of it here. The response has been truly amazing.”
