Temperatures may be rising as we get to spring but Scotland's recent cold weather had been helping a Polish bakery expand in Edinburgh.
Recipe for success: Sebastian Galewski's bakery employs four people'Cold weather means people want nice warm bread,' says Sebastian Galewski who set up The Polish Baking Company in the Scottish capital last May.
The bakery supplies Polish bread and doughnuts, all made from Polish recipes, to 75 local restaurants, hotels and takeaways. Clients also include Polish delicatessens and shops catering for Edinburgh's East European migrant community.
'We import all the ingredients including Polish flour,' explains Galewski.'We have also brought over Polish bread mixers and Polish baking ovens.'
The recipes come courtesy of Galewski's Uncle Joszaf who runs a bakery in the family's hometown of Lodz.
'I am really pleased with the number of clients we have secured in our first year and my family are proud that I have kept up their tradition in Scotland,' he says.
Galewski had the idea for the company whilst working as a chef at the Cambridge Bar in Edinburgh. Unlike other immigrant nationalities, Poles such as Galewski have shown themselves far more amenable to moving out of traditional centres.
'I mentioned my plan to the bar's owner Jon Clemence and he liked it so much he said he wanted to support me,' explains Galewski. 'He helped me with all the paperwork that was needed to set up the business.'
Galewski has four staff, all Polish, including three bakers and a driver. 'I manage the bakery but I also help out with the driving making deliveries. I even do some baking on the night shifts.'
So what are the secrets of good Polish bread? 'The flavour is much better than Scottish bread,' he states. 'Our bread is heavy so when you finish eating it you feel full, you feel like you have eaten something substantial.'
The business plan is to continue building the client base in Edinburgh and the wider Lothian area but also, from this summer, target customers in Glasgow. Galewski came to Edinburgh from Poland in 2003 and initially found the adjustment to Scottish life difficult. 'It was hard to find a job and I started as a kitchen porter before getting my job at the Cambridge.'
But he is now happy with life in Scotland. 'Edinburgh is an old and very beautiful city. The people are very friendly and they have helped me settle. However I do miss the warmer Polish weather.' Maybe, just maybe, the climate may start to turn in his favour.