Kettering's Kafe Bloc plans new deli following lockdown success

An independent Kettering cafe that successfully transformed the business into a deli is planning to open a dedicated food shop after lockdown.

Kafe Bloc started selling fresh meat, vegetables, baked goods and more to customers at the beginning of lockdown when the cafe was forced to shut.

Owner Tony Bagshaw said: "Obviously we had to shut, so I thought should we shut everything or turn what we have into something else.

"I'd rather be busy! We are still getting a supply of meat, like bacon and sausages, and all the veg and my baker is still baking.

"It was really how can we turn that in to something that helps people."

The business pivot has been so successful, owner Tony is planning on opening Deli Bloc once lockdown measures have eased.

Tony said: "We'd be going in with the best of what we have been doing and having a nice deli with fresh local bread, milk, all the meat, fresh veg, like what we are doing now but done properly."

Tony thinks part of the reason their lockdown deli offering was so popular early on was because people were avoiding the supermarkets either through fear or because the shelves were low on stock from panic buying.

He said: "The supermarkets were hell when this all kicked off.

"That was a big motivation for me. People can get all the things they need to get and I thought, if I do it right people will be safer ordering online and coming to collect than they would be in a supermarket."

Tony is also hoping that people who have used smaller independent businesses will carry on shopping with them once things start to return to normal.

He said: "Even if it's just for some of their stuff, like nice local bread, local pate or ham and cakes, people can then get the rest of what they need at a supermarket."

Tony said he was initially working 18 hour days to make sure the deli operation was running smoothly, but he has now settled into a routine and it has given him more time to plan for the business.

One of the things he has had time to do is apply for a premises licence variation.

Tony said: "These things come about when you have more time to think about them, normally I am head down and cooking all day.

"These are things I have wanted to do and expand the business."

He said the different parts of the licence variation is to give him flexibility, rather than things he will definitely do. For example, the application is for variation of opening hours but Tony said that will depend on staffing levels.

The application also includes a plan to include an outside seating area, variation to licensable activity and vary sale of alcohol to include off sales, which Tony said would support events like Kett Fest without having to apply for an event licence.

You can order food to be collected from Kafe Bloc by messaging their page on Facebook. The page post what will be available and customers can message with their order and a collection slot, which will then be confirmed.

Kafe Bloc are running collection slots to keep a steady flow of customers following social distancing rules.

The cafe's Facebook page can be found here.

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