Ola hopes to spread the love in new Polish themed cafe in Sleaford

From left - Nicola Sowa, Ola Hoggett, Michal Sobozak, of Olawa Bakery, Beata and Zygryf Sowa.

And Ola Hoggett is already feeling overwhelmed with the warmth of enthusiasm from her new customers to From Poland With Love/Orla Cafe, in the Market Place.

She has had an ambition to open a cafe having moved to the UK when she was 16 and grown up here. She has loved putting down roots and bringing up her family in the town.

“I had a little scrap book and collected ideas for it,” she said. “I was wanting to have a nice, big shop window and waited for something to come up in the right location.”

When Wise Guys menswear closed in October, she quickly took up the lease.

Ola grew a nails and beauty business from home, sharing space with another business before opening up her own salon, Beauty and Nails at Ola, on Southgate five years ago.

She is so grateful to her supportive clients as she explained that many started offering to give her items to furnish her new cafe, giving her crockery and furniture.

“I also did some trading,” she said, “I did a pedicure for a sofa. I wanted it to feel homely and cosy. We have a chilled area full of sofas and mood lighting towards the back and I want to have lots of books and games on shelves to use.

"We’ve had some really good feedback so far, which is amazing,” said Ola. “Customers said it would draw them in from the surrounding villages to Sleaford to do their shopping.”

On her opening day they sold out of almost everything and she had to rush off to restock from their amazing Polish bakery in Worksop, which supplies deliciously large cakes and pastries full of fresh ingredients with a Polish twist, as Ola is eager to share some of the exciting tastes of her home country.

A number of customers have been attracted to experience their roots as they have Polish, Lithuanian or Ukrainian relatives who settled here after the war.

"People really like the cakes and pastries,” Ola said. “I am going to serve Polish soup in a traditional bread bowl, and a Polish breakfast.”

Her mum, dad, sister and grandma all help out. “Even my clients offered to help wash dishes as they just want me to do well,” Ola laughed. “It motivates me too.”