Leaping from home baking to a new store, two Ipswich women are hoping to take the town by storm with their new bespoke cake shop.
Marisa Kamberi and Rosa Pinho throw open the doors to Blossom Rose Cakes today and hope their chosen spot in Norwich Road will be the perfect place to pick up passing trade.
They decided to open a shop after their online baking business proved a hit, gaining support via Instagram and Facebook.
Mrs Pinho said: "We were doing well online and we had a lot of feedback from people who said they would look forward to us opening a shop.
"They are really excited for us."
Explaining their niche, she said: "We do personalised cakes, which are really different from the supermarket.
"Every time I make a cake, even if it's something I've done before, I always try to make it different.
"I really enjoy baking because it's challenging and you never know if people are going to like it."
The mum-of-three and former cleaner said her family is "really proud of her" for starting her first business.
But sadly, her three grown children in France and Portugal will not be able to sample her wares.
She said: "Because of Covid and everything that is going on right now we didn't see them at Christmas and I have not been able to go over so often.
"I used to go several times a year and my son was going to come from France but could not come as everything changed again.
"So I stayed home with my husband and some friends."
She admits she misses her children and is sad they cannot be there for the opening.
She said: "I speak to them every day. It's always difficult and we do not see our grandchild growing up only through Facetime."
The Portuguese mum, who grew up in France, moved to Ipswich with her husband around five years ago as they sought a better life, and they have taken the town to their hearts.
She added: "I really enjoy it here. We've got Felixstowe so close.
"To have the sea so near is therapeutic for us as the sea is what we are born near."
Blossom Rose's Cakes is open Monday to Saturday from 8am to 5pm at 5 Norwich Road, IP1 2ET.
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