Voilà - A Cosy Bakery & Book Café in Norwich

Aim

To open Voilà, a cosy bakery & book café in Norwich serving fresh bakes, coffee, and creating a warm community space.

Our Story

My name is Rojda Cutcu, and I am the founder of Voilà, a cosy bakery, café, and book-friendly space I dream of bringing to life in Norwich.

I was born and raised in France to a Turkish family. After losing my father to leukemia, my mother and I moved to Turkey to be closer to her family and rebuild our lives. Later, I studied Industrial Engineering, got married, and eventually moved to the UK, where I now live with my husband and our two young daughters.

Baking has always been part of my life. It has followed me through every stage of my journey. When my husband lost his job, I began baking from home to support my family. What started as a necessity slowly became a small business, and I began supplying handmade baked goods and desserts to local cafés around Norwich.

Through this journey, I realised something very important: I don’t just want to bake, I want to create a place that brings people together.

Voilà is my vision of that place.

I want to open a cosy bakery and café that offers much more than traditional food options. In Norwich, I often feel there is a gap in the everyday food available, especially for families. There are many restaurants and fast food places, but not many spaces offering simple, homemade, fresh, and flexible food that works from morning to evening.

As a mother of two, I experience this every day. It can be difficult to find food that feels right for children, or healthy everyday options that are not fast food or overly processed. I want to change that.

Voilà will offer fresh pastries, sandwiches, salads, and homemade seasonal dishes inspired by French and Turkish cuisine, along with simple favourites like cookies and brownies. There will also be an “open fridge” concept where people can choose fresh, homemade meals such as dips, salads, and warm dishes they can enjoy in the café or take home to heat later.

But Voilà is not only about food. It is also about atmosphere.

Growing up, I have always loved books and stories, from Harry Potter to Gilmore Girls and Good Witch, and I have always been drawn to places that feel a little magical, comforting, and calm. That is exactly what I want to create.

Voilà will be a warm, cosy, and welcoming space where people can slow down. A place where someone can sit alone with a book and coffee, meet friends, or simply take a quiet moment for themselves. A space that feels safe, inspiring, and comforting.

I want Voilà to be more than a bakery or café. I want it to feel like a small escape from everyday life, a place where food, comfort, and community come together.

At the moment, I have built my business from home and by supplying local cafés, but I do not have the financial support to open a physical space. The funds raised through this campaign will help me secure a small premises, purchase essential equipment, and create a warm, inviting interior where this vision can become reality.

This is not just a business for me. It is a lifelong dream that has grown with me through every stage of my life, and I am now ready to bring it to life with the support of my community.

Thank you for reading my story and for being part of this journey.

Funding method

Keep what you raise – this project will receive all pledges made by 20th July 2026 at 7:17pm