The Polish Bakery: There is lots of potential in English Volleyball

The popularity of volleyball is growing in England and large companies are realising the potential in the sport. The Polish Bakey (Wembley), the sponsor of IBB Polonia London, the current English National Champions, clearly understands the value in a partnership with the club. They had a clear purpose in establishing a working relationship. The representative of the bakery, Andrzej Swiderski tells about that.

You had the opportunity in accompanying the team during the recent tournament in Warsaw. What did you think about the event? Which phase of the matches springs to mind?

I managed to spend some time with the team and strengthen our relationship. I believe that the members of the team have a close bond and work at the highest level. The event was very well organised and there was a great atmosphere. The most memorable match was between IBB Polonia London and Legia Warsaw. The guys really stepped up their level. It was great to witness lots of amazing attacks, blocks and defensive action. I really enjoy dynamic volleyball, and this match was just that producing lots of excitement. I felt very emotional watching the game take place.

And these emotions resulted in The Polish Bakery establishing a relationship with the volleyball club?

Emotions are an integral part of sport. The cause of our relationship lies much deeper. We share a common vision. The team is evolving, going forwards and so are we. We are a company with an established reputation in the marketplace. That’s exactly the same as IBB Polonia London. It is a well known club in London with great successes in Great Britain, but it isn’t resting on its laurels. We are both heading in the same direction.

What is the greatest aspect of your partnership?

There are many that keep us working together. We share common aims and common values. We enjoy and honest healthy partnership. IBB Polonia London is the leader in volleyball in this country and The Polish bakery is a leader in baking in this country too. There are many companies mimicking our ideas and procedures. We have our own individual approach to business with many ideas. We also know the marketplace and how to operate effectively. As a result we see many similarities with the club.

Are you aiming for market dominance in England?

Primarily we want to show Britain what is great about Poland. The club wants to show Great Britain volleyball based on the World Champions and the Bakery wants to show Britain bread that we can describe as „Poland’s Visiting Card”. We have many clients and the club has fans from all round the world. This may be Asians, Africans, English, Welsh, Scots or Irish. Sport unites people, and it is the same with bread. This ideal is what we are trying to spread far and wide.

Is it fair to say that The Polish Bakery is a role model for IBB Polonia London?

We are happy to share our knowledge with the club. If the club sees us in this way, then we take it as a compliment. We hope that by working together, the club can broaden its horizons and improve even further. The evidence that we are both moving in the same direction is the fact that IBB Polonia London is taking part in the CEV Challenge Cup. We also expect benefits from this tournament, in terms of business as well as dreams.

Are you planning any sort of event that may be for the fans?

Of course, we are open to all sorts of new ideas. We have only recently started working together and so we have many ideas that we can put into place. We are aiming to develop many promotional events that the club will take part in. The club will also be using us for some of its plans too. Social media will be involved in the advertising of such ventures.

Does it matter that the players have jobs during the day and train after work?

That’s even more impressive. The players are human beings that work during the day and train in the evening. We could even think of them as a type of hero. The managed amazing results in difficult conditions and will be playing with professional players from Europe. Supporting people with such a passion motivates us in our work.

It seems as though your partnership has begun without any problems. Does the future look bright?

Yes, we are not hiding our excitement that the start has been smooth. We are a step ahead of the competition and look forward to the future together. I’m pleased we decided to start this partnership with the best team in English volleyball. Companies don’t have the experience or the vision to see that a partnership within sport can be very productive.

The Polish Bakery (Wembley) was founded in 2003 and is the oldest Polish bakery in Britain. We have traditions founded on quality of product and aim to bring top quality food to the British people. Sourdough bread: cheesecake, doughnuts, poppy seed cake and many others are our specialities.