Caking on a new venture: Business owners bid Lincoln an emotional farewell

After three years of running a successful long-serving cake shop on the High Street, the owners of Sugarart of Lincoln are stepping away from the business to put their lives and free time first.

Greg and Agnes Grabowski took over Sugarart of Lincoln in July 2020, becoming the third owners of the business after founder Dorothy Richardson opened Sugarart in 1993 and handed it over to her daughter-in-law Lesley in 2002.

The couple maintained Sugarart’s rich tradition of tasty cakes with elegant style, and have dedicated the last three years of their lives to making sure the business runs as smoothly as possible.

The owners at Sugarart of Lincoln made a special birthday cake to celebrate The Lincolnite’s 10th anniversary. | Photo: Steve Smailes for The Lincolnite

They have worked tirelessly since then to create a range of cakes and sweet treats for customers and clients alike, including a very special 10th anniversary cake for The Lincolnite in 2020.

Taking over in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic looked a near impossible task, but they navigated their way through lockdowns and tight regulations on businesses to survive the global health emergency – something Agnes says she is immensely proud of.

“COVID was so hard for small businesses,” she told The Lincolnite. “We had to deal with closing our doors straight away, but we managed to survive and for that I am so happy and proud.”

Sugarart of Lincoln is situated on the lower High Street. | Photo: The Lincolnite

However, Greg and Agnes have now made the tough decision to leave Lincoln and close the shop, departing for pastures new in Guernsey for a whole new career path.

The store will close on February 25, with significant sales on offer until then to clear the stock, and the move comes with a heavy heart for the owners.

Greg explained: “We had a job offer that gives us more income than we get from the shop for less working hours, it means that we can have our weekends back.

“We’re not closing because of a lack of income, we were just given an opportunity that we had to take. We’re looking forward to nicer weather hopefully, but we will miss Lincoln a lot.”

Sugarart of Lincoln have been making custom cakes for customers for 30 years! | Photo: The Lincolnite

The couple announced their pending closure on Monday, and say they have been moved to tears by the outpouring of messages from customers and the local community.

Greg continued: “It is even harder for us to go when we read the messages from customers, we received so much support and we still have our home in Lincoln, so we can come back eventually!”

Cake design is not an easy hobby to let go of, and Agnes has said she will continue her cake making in the future, which could allow her to be more creative when not needing to meet the requirements of clients’ orders.

However, the future of Sugarart of Lincoln is now up for grabs, with Agnes and Greg exploring sales of the business in the coming weeks, before their big departure across the English Channel to Guernsey at the end of February.

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