Meet Ovidiu – Ovid. A cool septuagenarian originally from Romania, who still works, Ovid will feature in my next project. Maybe you can guess what about…
Ovid has a remarkable, Boys Own / James Bond back story that ended with him fleeing Romania in the 1970s and being granted political asylum in the UK. Through hard work and skill, he ended up with a string of shops including this one – Patisserie Romana – near Burnt Oak, London’s “Little Romania”.
A feature of Romanian culture is generous hospitality. Not only by invitation! If you turn up at a friend or neighbour’s without invitation, they’re expected to produce something pretty lavish for you on the spot. Sure enough, Ovid and his wife Bianca offered me a tray of cakes fit for a king. Patisserie Romana’s cakes are second to none, baked by an enthusiastic crew of young Romanians using the finest of ingredients.
I look forward to my next interview with Ovid. His is a story you’ll want to catch, within a wider sweep. Next time I better take Marzena – Poles love cakes, too…
Polska Dotty 