Cafe’s second year anniversary is icing on the cake

With a fire breaking out in the kitchen on the first day of opening two years ago, and then Covid happening on top of that, locals in Belturbet could be forgiven for rolling their eyes skyward at thoughts of yet another business closing so soon after opening at the corner of Castle Street.

It’s with delight however, and a sense of unequivocal pride, that Café Nuá has grown to become one of the more venerable businesses in the town, boasting a growing customer base not just within the immediate area, but from far afield, with regular customers travelling large distances for their treats, even from Dublin.

To the soundtrack of clinking cups and the fizz of milk being foamed, Vita Blauberga and Inta Dokereva reminisce about how far their business has come over the past 24 months. Not only do the Latvian sisters share the running of a thriving independent café business, but between part-time and full-time staff, they currently employ 12 people.

The sisters look at each other with wry smiles and allow a short chuckle thinking back to the first few months of opening. The memories seem distant now given how much has been achieved since. Such is the demand for their bespoke cakes that they’ve branched into a second premises, devoting the café kitchen to customers coming through the door.

“It’s come so quickly,” says Vita of Café Nuá’s second anniversary. “It’s lovely seeing customers come in and enjoy themselves, and come back again as well.”

But both Vita and Inta, who’ve made Belturbet town their home for the past two decades, are from a long-line of talented bakers and culinary creatives. Hailing from a large country town near Latvia’s capital Riga, the sisters’ grandfather Hermans owned a successful bread bakery from the 1940s.

“It’s something passed down in our family, from generation to generation, a love of baking,” explains Inta. “Our grandfather, then our grandmother, our mum baked, even our sisters bake. One owns a restaurant, another is a professional chef.”

The sisters started out baking for friends from their Belturbet home, and were constantly encouraged to do more with their obvious talents. “Our friends would always tell us ‘you have to open a café’. And so we finally did it,” says Vita. “It all happened very naturally.”

Inta favours being more in the kitchen, while Vita enjoys decorating cakes, her keen eye for design lending itself to the unique Café surrounds too, replete with photographs she has taken on her travels around Europe.

The naysayers, who gave the business an initial three months to survive, then six months, no longer view closure as a terrible fait accompli. Their tune has changed, and Inta and Vita find them among Café Nuá’s most loyal customers now, celebrating the success as much as the sisters have.

“First day there was a fire, and then Covid came. But we knew we had something special to give,” considers Inta. “Everybody said there were not enough people in Belturbet to run a coffee shop, but we have customers coming to us now from all over. [Visitors] come on the boats, and then arrive back in their cars. They even come from Dublin.”

Both are so thankful for their customers’ support, and with great pride, look forward to many more successful years in business.

“It’s hard to believe. It was always our dream to do something like this. It has been hard work, but it’s good work,” reflects Vita.

“Everything we make here is from scratch - each tartlet or pastry. It’s all fresh, meaning there is a lot of work going on behind the scenes. But when our customers leave happy, it makes it all worth it.”