Stepping through the door of The DoughMother is like entering a tiny Parisian cafe. The aroma of freshly-baked bread, the stunning cakes and the quaint shabby chic style whisks customers away from a Nottinghamshire housing estate, over the Channel, to France.
It would be easy to drive through Beeston and never know of the charming little shop's existence if it wasn't for its word-of-mouth reputation. But just like the amazing finds on the backstreets of Paris, it's worth a diversion off the A52 or Wollaton Road to visit the neighbourhood cafe and bakery, or to give it the proper title, artisan boulanger.
It's nearly four years ago since Houlia Mola opened The DoughMother in Central Avenue, just around the corner from where she was living at the time. The delicious cakes, pastries and bread have won over locals, including one who said: "My weekly walks to Central Avenue have taken on the feel of a pilgrimage. Blessed are those of us who get to eat what you create in your kitchen."
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The counter's display cabinet is a feast for the senses, filled with orange and cardamom cake, a deep Parisian flan, raspberry cheesecake, generously-sized pots of profiteroles and tiramisu, double chocolate brownies and Austrian recipe Linzer cake, made with almonds. Macarons are another speciality. For the Queen's Platinum Jubilee Houlia made red, white and blue (strawberry, vanilla and blueberry flavoured) and at any other time there's pistachio, raspberry, orange and lemon.
You don't have to have a sweet tooth though to find something enticing. Savoury pastries, with fillings of leek, spinach or cheese, are just as popular. Whatever your tastes, wash it down with something from the wide range of coffee. The Greek coffee is a nod to Houlia's background. Iced versions - freddo espresso and cappuccino - use cold milk foam.
Bread, just like all the cakes and pastries, is baked in the small-scale bakery at the back of the cafe and early morning customers are treated to the irresistible wafts as white sourdough baguettes, wholemeal sourdough and light rye leave the oven. At weekends, look out for the olive bread.
As soon as The DoughMother's doors opened, there was a stream of customers. Jo Maslin, 73, of Stapleford, was first in at 10.30am to buy some bread and cinnamon buns. She said: "I have seen it on Facebook and learnt about it through word-of-mouth. I love artisan bread. It's an amazing place. I didn't know it was a cafe. I think it's lovely."
Owner Houlia, 35, left her home on mainland Greece in 2011 to further her studies. She'd also applied to universities in Liverpool and London but Nottingham was her first choice for a Master's degree, which she followed with a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology.
Afterwards, she worked in the laboratories at both the University of Nottingham and Nottingham Trent University and, returning home at the end of the day, she baked. She said: "I always liked baking and was into that as a hobby. I guess I learnt the basics as I was growing up from my mother, and then it became more daily in my life.
"It is relaxing and it was a good change from the day. I'd go back home and cook and bake. As I was finishing the PhD I was developing some ideas - I was young and thinking if I don't try right now when will it happen?"
She swapped pathway research and delineation of mechanisms to open The DoughMother in 2018. "I needed a change and to try something different, I know for people it seems like a big leap but in my head it wasn't such a big leap," she said.
She chose the location based on the proximity to her home and the amount of funds she had. "I knew there would be challenges but I think I've made it work. It's quite a loved establishment," added Houlia, who has done the odd baking course but most of her skills have come from reading and practising on repeat until it's right.
Just as the business was going well, the pandemic threw a spanner in the works. "Covid was the Kinder surprise egg. When I was setting up the shop you couldn't foresee anything like that happening.
"It hit us when we were about one-year-old so when things were stabilising and taking off for a new business it was an axe, but we managed to survive. In the first phase when it was not very clear what we were supposed to do and the directions were not very specific we did a takeaway and people placed orders online and twice a week we prepared them and they came to pick them up.
"We also did deliveries for a small number of people, the elderly, people with mobility issues, so that's how we survived the initial lockdown. We have recuperated. I think the market is just starting to blossom again."
The cafe is decked out with shabby chic furniture from auction houses and charity shops, a harmonium, so old that it has candlestick holders above the keys, and French pictures. The origami paper birds that hang from the ceiling have been made by artistic customer Debra Urbacz.
If 20 people were to sit inside it would be packed but there are also two or three tables outside. However, Houlia is hoping to grow the business and expand to a more central location in Beeston.
"We have secured a lease in a central location. I don't want to jinx it by saying too much as it's just happening now in the next few months," she said, giving a reassurance that she has no plans to close the Central Avenue shop.
That's not the only development in the pipeline. Work on a bigger production kitchen, based in Beeston Rylands, is under way. Houlia said: "When you make everything from scratch and the kitchen is small it really takes its toll on your staff, on yourself and the quantities you can produce. I'd like to be able to expand and offer delivery and online shopping options and for that I need a bigger kitchen.
"Hopefully we'll be able to finalise in the next few months. It's a difficult project as we're renovating the space and fitting it. It will give us the ability to do a lot more variety and more numbers. We want to keep our standards and still make everything from scratch."
The DoughMother is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10.30am to 3.30pm.
