What happens when one of Lincoln’s oldest family-run businesses joins forces with one of the city’s freshest startups? The answer is Oatz & Stokes, a coffee shop that combines the Stokes family’s long-standing coffee traditions with the energy and creativity of a local baking entrepreneur.
Opening on Lincoln High Street in the iconic Stokes High Bridge Café building, the shop will serve Stokes’ classic drinks – including a special coffee blend created in collaboration with Oatz & Co – alongside the startup’s signature bakes, as well as a food menu of jackets, toasties and salads.
On the morning of the soft opening, I sat down with Lauren, founder of Oatz & Co, to hear the story behind this unexpected partnership.
From Grandma’s flapjack recipe to a brand new concept
“It all started with my Grandma’s flapjack recipe,” Lauren tells me. During the pandemic, her idea for Oatz & Co began as a home delivery business, but her homemade bakes soon found their way into local markets and wholesale.
As word spread about Lauren’s bakes, she opened an Oatz & Co shop in the city centre, at the Cornhill Market, where Stokes also had a presence. One thing led to another, and the seed was planted for a collaboration between old and new.
“I got approached by Stokes in January asking if we would be able to go into business together, as they really liked my brand.”
As it happens, Oatz & Co and Stokes had already been partnering behind the scenes for some time.
“I have already supplied Stokes at the Lawns and the High Bridge for four years,” explains Lauren. Stokes was one of her first wholesale clients.
“Then I started in the Cornhill Market using their coffee. Our brands have always worked really well.”
What can you expect to find at Oatz & Stokes?
In addition to hot drinks and sweet treats, Oatz & Stokes also has a lunch menu and a breakfast menu.
The lunch menu features various flavour combinations that you can order as a toastie, jacket potato or salad. I tried the “Manhattan Heat” toastie, which is a bit like a New York deli with chilli flakes added (although you can skip those if you prefer). It was absolutely superb, and these little creative touches are what make Oatz & Co stand out.
The cakes and bakes are a centrepiece of course. The classic Biscoff and white chocolate flapjack is a house staple and must-try. You will also find many other flapjack varieties, like millionaires or dark cherry. I sampled a delicious Malteser tiffin, and there are also creative brownies, cornflake crunches… the list goes on.
A creative hot drinks menu
While the coffee is provided by Stokes, the Oatz & Co team have added their own special twists to the hot drinks. Issy, who has worked hard behind the scenes to develop the concepts, told me about the selection that has been prepared for the opening – plus the unique coffee blend that is exclusive to Oatz & Stokes.
“I wanted to have quite a few different specials that would have an autumnal feel,” she explains. “We have the classic s’mores hot chocolate, working with local businesses – we get our marshmallow fluff from Naked Marshmallow Co. It’s a hot chocolate with cream and biscuit on top, so it’s really decadent and ready for Christmas.
“Then we have the banana bread latte, which uses my homemade syrup that took ten different tries to find the perfect combination! It’s got the sweetness, the banana, the spices – it just feels really warming.
“And we have the sticky date flat white, made with 100% date syrup, which is better if you don’t want to have loads of sugar.”
Having tried both the banana bread latte and the sticky date flat white, I can confirm they’re amazing, and the sort of soul-warming drinks that feel like a treat on a chilly day.
Deja Brew: the signature blend
So, what about the specially created blend? Issy explains: “We had a couple of meetings with Stokes, and we tried lots of different kinds of roast coffees, and the different beans they have.
“We came up with our own blend of a few different coffees, which covers the basis that we want. Our blend is really rich and quite fruity, and we use a full-flavour espresso. It’s called Deja Brew.
“So, we have that in the store, and we also have bags for you to take home. Then you can make our coffee at home, and it’s like, Deja Brew… I’ve had this before!”
Eat in upstairs, and you can sit in a hidden floor inside one of Lincoln’s oldest buildings, where cosy booths under a white-and-black beamed ceiling look out onto the High Street Below.
It’s clear that when two businesses genuinely understand each other, something special happens. That’s what you’ll find at Oatz & Stokes – the perfect place to experience the best of Lincoln’s old and new, all while treating yourself.
Oatz & Stokes is officially open from Saturday 22 November.
Read our local story series for more insight behind the scenes of Lincoln’s food and drink scene.
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