Excitement as all-new coffee and bakery spot coming soon to Finedon

Vaarista is the newest venture from the owners of the Market Street Bakery in Higham Ferrers.

While the Higham Ferrers location will reach its 41st year in the town, Vaarista is a way for the owners to expand their offerings into Finedon, with plans for a May opening.

Vaarista currently has a mobile bakery and coffee bar stationed at Rushden Lakes, and while business will continue there as usual, the Finedon spot will be the brand’s way of bringing all of its offerings under one roof, with coffee sourced from local roastery Bella Barista based at Nene Court in Wellingborough and baked goods being made in-house.

While he admits there have been some ‘painful’ moments during renovations, Taz Sandhu, owner of Vaarista, said the response to the announcement has been ‘mind-blowing.’

He said: “Finedon is our first go at having three in one; coffee, bakery and deli. That’s what this place will be.

"Nothing compares to the public reaction to Finedon and it’s reinforced that something is missing and that we needed something like this here.

“It’s its own brand with its own look.

“Everyday we go past it and we felt something is missing in Finedon.

“There are loads of good coffee shops now, but we want to be a coffee shop plus one. We wanted to make sure that the food and cake experience is as good as the coffee experience. We want to offer value.

“There’s a massive community spirit here.”

The space, which was formerly a fish and chip shop, is undergoing a significant refit to feature new decor, space for seating and a counter which will feature a range of baked goods such as sausage rolls, bread, sweet treats, doughnuts and sandwiches.

Drinks include the staple coffee options, as well as machas, smoothies, ice-tea, milkshakes and more.

While Vaarista’s opening hours are subject to change, the plan is to be open seven days a week from around 7am until 6pm, with Sundays operating during reduced hours.