A Polish deli in Harrogate will relaunch in new town centre premises at the weekend.
Cracovia, which used to occupy a small shop on King’s Road, will reopen on Saturday in a larger unit on Bower Street.
Owner Maciek Bujakowski told the Stray Ferret:
“Our little shop on King’s Road had become slightly too small, so we’re moving to a bigger shop where we’ll have more space. The uniqueness of our home-made products, such as pâtés, meatloaves and sausages, gives us a strength over other shops, so we’ve become quite popular.
“If you come along on Saturday between 9am and 6pm, you’ll be able to taste different kinds of Polish food and drink, and everybody’s welcome.”
The new shop on Bower Street in Harrogate.
Maciek and wife Kasia not only own the Harrogate shop, but also a restaurant in Chapel Allerton and shops in Armley in Leeds, Acomb in York and Hessle in Hull. In total, they employ 15 people, including four in the new Bower Street shop.
Originally from Krakow in southern Poland, Maciek began his career with a four-year catering degree and represented his country in international food competitions.
Kasia and Maciek Bujakowski.
He came to England in 2004, moving around the country for various chef positions, culminating in being made executive chef of the Kimberley Hotel in Harrogate. He opened his first shop, Magic Meat – a wordplay on his first name – on King’s Road in 2015 to cater to the town’s then-growing Polish community.
He said:
“When we opened our first shop eight years ago, about 80% of our customers were Eastern European and only 20% English, but now the balance is about 50/50.
“With Polish food it’s exactly the same as with other kinds of foreign food. People come here from other places, local people try our food and like it, and it becomes more popular. I wouldn’t be surprised if in 30 years’ time, you would see Polish restaurants like you see Indian and Chinese restaurants now. It’s just the evolution of knowledge of food, and it’s changing all the time.”
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Harrogate’s first Polish Heritage Day to be held tomorrow
Harrogate is to hold its first Polish Heritage Day tomorrow.
The free event, which is open to everyone, aims to encourage people from different backgrounds to integrate.
It will take place at Harrogate High School from 10am to 2pm, beginning with a Poland vs England football match.
There will also be children’s activities, food, music and numerous stalls.
Aleksandra Timberlake, a teacher at the Polish Saturday School based in Harrogate High School, said this would be the first major Polish event in Harrogate, although smaller events have taken place previously.
Ms Timberlake said:
“The event is for everyone, not just for Polish-speaking people. We would love people in Harrogate to realise how big the Polish community is in this town.
“Our aim is to make sure we all integrate in a community spirit, no matter our national background.
“We want to show that we can all live together and we all can learn something from each other.”
The Polish school meets every other Saturday
There will be violinists, guitarists and pianists as well as singers, along with Polish folk dance, a health check corner and classic cars, including the iconic Fiat 126p — a symbol of communist era Poland.
Polish-born Ms Timberlake, who has lived in Harrogate for about 15 years, said there are four Polish shops in Harrogate and some 60 students.
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How Truth Legal is offering legal comfort to Harrogate’s Polish community
This story is sponsored by Truth Legal.
Whether it is for employment or family support, Truth Legal offers a range of support for Polish people in the Harrogate district.
Based and founded in Harrogate in 2012, the firm has been helping people with legal advice for more than 10 years and has prided itself on a “honest and ethical” ethos.
In that time, it has expanded by opening a branch in Leeds and, as a result, its client base.
But one of its unique services is how it focuses on communities which are hard to reach – one being Polish speaking clients.
In an effort to tackle this, it decided to employ Polish-speaking staff to help bridge the gap for Polish nationals and offer support to those who need to navigate UK law.
So Truth Legal hired two experienced legal professionals in family and employment law, Katarzyna Zatorski and Mirek Ksiezarek. For other types of law Truth Legal can put you in touch with an interpreter.
But it didn’t stop there. The company also set up a Polish website aimed at offering support for those who may need help navigating the UK law.
When asked why Polish nationals should choose Truth Legal for legal advice, Mirek said:
“We are a local, moral legal firm that understand the difficulties the Polish communities may face when having to navigate the English legal system and want to offer the best support available in the clients own language.”
The site and experience of having Polish legal staff also allows Truth Legal to offer cultural understanding, emotional support and clarity for clients.
Mirek added:
“We know it is important when you are facing a legal dilemma to talk through them in your own language. We are here to provide some comfort in a turbulent time.”