Ruskington coffee shop bosses’ new catering ventures land them a spot on ITV’s This Morning show

The co-owners of a family-run coffee shop business forced to diversify under covid restrictions have found it a blessing in disguise as their new ventures have rocketed them to nationwide demand.
Households have gone made for Poppy and Mandy's afternoon tea hampers and boxes over the past year. EMN-210303-112933001Households have gone made for Poppy and Mandy's afternoon tea hampers and boxes over the past year. EMN-210303-112933001
Households have gone made for Poppy and Mandy's afternoon tea hampers and boxes over the past year. EMN-210303-112933001

Poppy Rogers and her parents Mandy and Karl Rogers opened Poppy’s Place in Ruskington High Street in 2017, going from strength to strength. But coronavirus distancing measures have made it unviable to open throughout the last year, instead focussing on a new direction in outside catering and home delivery.

Poppy and Mandy launched Fig and Flower, bringing the Australian craze for ‘grazing’ to the area, delivering opulent looking banquets for gatherings, functions and parties, dressing the table with food in ways more akin to art, using locally produced foods and products.

Adapting it to lockdown, they have created kits for home-based events and video conferencing for businesses, beginning to cater for huge corporate brands such as Liz Earle Beauty and Allianz.

Mother and daughter Poppy and Mandy Rogers. EMN-210303-105354001Mother and daughter Poppy and Mandy Rogers. EMN-210303-105354001
Mother and daughter Poppy and Mandy Rogers. EMN-210303-105354001

Poppy said: “We have recently launched our new products – Ambience Hampers - which are fast up and coming. Others are jumping on the grazing bandwagon in the East Midlands so we came up with the hampers. We are pleased to say we only include local hand crafted produce within our hampers and have teamed up with a number of wonderful independent businesses in order to achieve this. All happen to be Lincolnshire-based and run by women, like ourselves - something we have consciously chosen to do.”

The hampers are designed to provide products and styling to make your home dining experience as luxurious as possible for that special occasion, including scented candles, wax melts, vases, lighting and candlesticks.

“All the things you would need to buy for a really luxurious night in and you get to keep them all and use them again all over the home.”

She said it is going so well one of their hampers has been selected to feature in a segment on Mother’s Day gifts on today’s (Thursday) This Morning show on ITV which Poppy is thrilled about.

Fancy Fig and Flower grazing. EMN-210303-112848001Fancy Fig and Flower grazing. EMN-210303-112848001
Fancy Fig and Flower grazing. EMN-210303-112848001

Poppy said: “Our business has teamed up with sister-in-law’s business to create a bespoke Mother’s Day box.”

She says: “It has been down to hard work and not giving up. Our Ambience hampers have just been featured in Grazia magazine as one of the best gift options of the year so far, The Sun and Country & Townhouse. We are currently in talks of being featured in the Sunday Times, YOu, Sheerluxe, OK magazine and the Metro for our Grazing and Ambience hampers.

“We are overwhelmed with the response we have received regarding our new products and blown away by the publications wishing to feature us,” she said.

“The cafe is on the back-burner and we are concentrating on Fig and Flower grazing options.”

Ambience hampers are giving that element of pampered luxury, using local producers too. EMN-210303-112900001Ambience hampers are giving that element of pampered luxury, using local producers too. EMN-210303-112900001
Ambience hampers are giving that element of pampered luxury, using local producers too. EMN-210303-112900001

Poppy added: “We have lots of dates in the diary we are working on but the most recent is our work with International Women’s Day on Monday. We are aiming our new Empowered Ambience Hamper at that date and will be donating a portion of our proceeds to IWD charities. We also have lots in the pipeline for Mothers Day and Easter.”

Their appeal is spreading rapidly, with clients nationwide and in Ireland.

Once lockdown eases Mandy and Poppy hope to go into corporate events to dress grazing tables and are already seeing their diary filling up for weddings, baby showers and other functions. “We have noticed such a big demand from companies doing Zoom meetings and offering bespoke gifting for key clients, it has opened up a whole new world, while within Lincolnshire our afternoon teas went berserk!” Poppy said.

“We always hoped to head in this direction but the pandemic has kicked us into gear and given us time to focus. We have a passion for food and styling - it is a perfect match.”

You can use the ambience hamper goods anywhere in the house. EMN-210303-112912001You can use the ambience hamper goods anywhere in the house. EMN-210303-112912001
You can use the ambience hamper goods anywhere in the house. EMN-210303-112912001

Dad Karl provides the financial know-how and they are looking to bring other family members on board as things develop.

“It is very exciting and feels like all the hard work is beginning to pay off,” said Poppy, who is also just five weeks away from having a baby girl with partner Ollie.

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