A pair of beloved Southampton bakers have looked back on 35-years of cake making and decorating after closing the doors of their shop for the last time.

Amanda Harris, 59, and Sally Churcher, 64, have been the faces behind Crafty Cakes on Bridge Road in Woolston since 1990.

The pair have forged links with customers so strong some have been coming back to Crafty Cakes for three decades with Sally and Amanda baking for some family's parents, children and grandchildren.

Sally told the Echo: “It’s going to be so hard to walk out those doors at the end of the day — we have both shed so many tears in the last few weeks, knowing we are going to say goodbye.

“We have loved every second – We’ve got every ounce of life and love out of this little shop.”

The duo first crossed paths when they both started working together at Butler the Bakers in Shirley Road with Sally’s mum and dad.

Pictures and Echo clippings from over the years Pictures and Echo clippings from over the years (Image: NQ) Amanda added: “We first started working together at Butler the Bakers in Shirley Road with Sally’s mum and dad.

“I was Sally’s trainee and then Sally’s parents retired and so we got to a quite good standard of cake decorating.

“We wanted to stay as a pair so decided to take the plunge and start up.”

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Customers from across the city have spend the last few weeks taking gifts and farewell presents for the pair with some even coming to tears.

Sally continued: “The last few weeks has left us speechless — we have seen such an outpour of support it’s been very heart warming.

“The wonderful team from the Co-op down the road brought us two bunches of flowers and we have received so many cards and gifts.

“We just did a cake for one lady’s daughter who is turning 30. She wanted the same cake we made her daughter on her first birthday.”

Flowers and gifts send to Crafty Cakes Flowers and gifts send to Crafty Cakes (Image: NQ) After nearly four decades of running the shop, their three-yearly lease is coming to an end, and Amanda and Sally have decided to retire.

Amanda continued: “During the pandemic so many people started to learn to bake and decorate cakes at home  — the market has become really saturated.

“That’s meant we lost a lot of trade. It’s a fabulous hobby for anybody but I think our time has now come to move on.”