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Since the early 2000s, one type of shop has quietly become a regular feature on British high streets: the Polski sklep – or Polish shop.

Jaega Wise explores what makes these stores worth visiting for everyone, not just Poles, and how they’re adapting to the challenges facing the high street. Known for their smoked sausages, sour pickles, and wide selection of herbal teas, these shops offer more than just food. With Polish people now the largest non-British nationality in the UK, and Polish the second most spoken language, they also reflect a broader story of migration and community.

To find out more, Jaega visits Peterborough – a city she once lived in and remembers for its Polish shops. There, she explores the busy Europol supermarket, a zapiekanka hole-in-the-wall takeaway, and a popular home-style restaurant, Pierogarnia. In Walthamstow, she meets cultural historian and second-generation Pole Kasia Tomasiewicz, who explains the background behind the herbal teas and how they connect her to her ancestors. And back in Hackney, Jaega makes pierogi at home with food writer Zuza Zak, using a mix of Polish and British ingredients.

Producer: Eliza Lomas