An Ipswich couple are fulfilling a lifelong ambition and opening a specialist bakery and café in the heart of the town.
Ion and Selena Andone will be welcoming customers to Pretzie for the first time on Friday, August 30.
As its name suggests the bakery, in Westgate Street, will be producing a variety of artisan pretzels and pastries based on generations-old family recipes.
And while the grand opening is just one day away, it represents years of hard work and graft for the married couple.
MORE: 'Brexit hotline' set up to help Suffolk businesses tackle no-deal falloutOriginally from Romania, the couple were running a small café in Cyprus seven years ago when the economic crisis hit.
They lost everything in the 2012 financial crisis but never the ambition to run their own business.
The couple moved to Ipswich five years ago and have been waiting for the perfect opportunity to launch their unique brand of grab-and-go food.
"We were always looking for some good, fresh pastry but we could never find any", said Mr Andone.
"A lot of what is on offer on the high street uses additives and conservatives, we don't use any of that - we are hoping to help the community eat healthier.
"Everything is done properly, fresh yeast and fresh flour, no preservatives."
At Pretzie it is not just the food which is handmade; the couple have built the café from the ground up all on their own.
Since taking over the site three months ago they have worked tirelessly making sure everything is just right - even making all the tables and counters themselves.
The couple said the site, with its huge windows and easy access, reflects the transparency of how they create their food.
Fresh pastry will be prepared each morning in the downstairs bakery while pretzels are made in full view of customers behind the counter.
Mrs Andone added: "I want people to see from the traffic lights what we are doing, I want them to see how I make my pretzels."
"It's artisan and freshly baked every day, we make everything with heart and soul.
"You are not going to find that anywhere else."
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