Sweet-toothed Ruddingtonians have recently been dealt two blows on High Street – with the closure of Julia’s Kitchen cake shop at number 14 last November followed by the loss of Sue Kosciekowski’s much loved traditional sweet shop Sweetie Boutique at number 18 earlier this year.
Thankfully a brand new business called Sweet Moments has now moved into the latter’s former premises – with the official opening on Saturday July 4th. Its launch date not only coincides with more village businesses being allowed to reopen after the easing of COVID-19 restrictions but also the return of Ruddington Village Market following an absence of three months.
Owner Dilwar Hussain, who also owns Aziz Khan in Compton Acres, says he wanted to branch out into something different: “This is a brand new venture for me. I’ve had this idea for a while now but unfortunately my current two restaurants do not have the space to facilitate for desserts. When I drove past the new building I instantly knew it was the right spot and time for me to invest in my next dream.”
He says he chose Ruddington due to its vibrancy and choice of retailers: “There is, however, a gap in the market – no village dessert parlours! I spent some time in the area and after speaking to some of the locals, I took a liking to how friendly everyone was. For me business is not just about owning something but also feeling a sense of belonging every day when I come into work. I feel Ruddington will offer that.”
Even before the official launch, Dilwar and his team were trialling takeaways – although the original plan to open on June 18th was delayed by the High Street floods the day before which inundated the ground floor of the newly refurbished shop. Thankfully the damage is now all fixed, the ruined stock has been replaced, and Ruddington’s new retailer is good to go!
Sweet Moments specialises exclusively in desserts: “We’ve a huge range of products from Indian desserts to cookie dough, cakes, shakes, smoothies, waffles, ice creams and much more! We will be using the best locally sourced ingredients with our own personal twists to create the perfect desserts. We have spent a lot of time creating the perfect menu for our customers. It’s designed to leave you spoilt for choice – but will also be ever improving to ensure all of our guests have the perfect and most memorable experience” promises Dilwar. “Our aim at Sweet Moments is to be different to anything else Ruddington has experienced. We are ready to take on this challenge so they do not feel the void of previous shops.”
To begin with, the parlour will operate as a delivery and collection service only: “Although lockdown restrictions are now being eased, we still want to do our utmost best in safeguarding ourselves and our customers” explains Dilwar. “We are however working to introduce a safe, ‘socially distanced’ eat-in facility in the coming months. We hope for this to be open by late summer. Until then our customers can enjoy our delicious deserts in the comfort of their own home.”
Raj Basi (pictured below) is running Sweet Moments on a day to day basis and suggests: “Count moments – not calories!” The Ruddington outlet opens from midday to 10pm Sundays to Thursdays and until 11pm at the weekend. Orders can be made by ‘phoning 01159846622 or via their website >>HERE<<.
If you’re a first time customer be sure to use the coupon code ‘RUDDINGTONINFO‘ to get 10% off when ordering online!
