A couple who have spent 17 years teaching in Dubai have opted for a change of career and climate and have moved to Norfolk to open a sandwich and coffee shop.

A sandwich and coffee shop with tastes of the Middle East and France is set to open in Dereham next month.

Ken and Louli Money have spent 17 years teaching in Dubai but have now opted for a change of career - and climate - with a new venture in Dereham.

They are set to open Bia, a made to order sandwich shop with what they say will be the biggest selection of coffees - from espresso to macchiato - in the old Commtech mobile phone shop in High Street.

It will be run as part of a franchise called Bia Blasta run by Essex based CD's catering firm, which has shops in Essex but wants to expand into Norfolk.

Its main principle, when it opens on October 13, will be making sandwiches however people want them and specialty coffee.

“Any sandwich you like, we will make,” said Mrs Money, 61. She said all the meats will be home cooked by them.

And as she was brought up in the south of France, she hopes to introduce some of the tastes of her home country and other countries to Dereham, including pan bagna.

Another is a type of round bread filled with olive oil and salad nicoise. “Every week it will be something different,” she said.

Ken's speciality will be coffee - everything from a straight Arabica coffee to macchiato or even different types of flavoured shots in the coffee, which will all be fair trade.

It is a long way from their last jobs. Both Louli and Ken, 58, have travelled a lot and spent the last 17 years in the Middle East - Dubai in fact.

They worked there as teachers, although they kept a house in Norwich, where they now live.

They picked Dereham to open a shop because: “We fell in love with it. It feels traditional with lots of interesting shops and it is very busy. We saw this shop empty and decided that was it.”

They have two children, both who have left home and have jobs in London and Sheffield.