A husband and wife from Clapham have found success with their two-month-old bakery in the heart of Wimbledon.

Owners Andrea, 31, and Sara, 35, say they wanted to create 'foodie heaven' with their takeaway delicatessen and bakery called 'Whisk'.

The 'brave' couple say they have always wanted to launch a business but had "never been lucky enough."

"Either we couldn't find the right place or we never found what we wanted," said Sara.

"But, thinking about it now we are really thankful that we were not able to open one.

"In September, we decided to search for the right place, we viewed this place and it just clicked. 

"We saw the business, we fell in love and then we decided to open a deli and a bakery on November 24, 2020."

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Andrea has a background in cooking at Michelin style restaurant's which is where he met his now business partner and wife Sara. 

"When you do so many adventures together it feels like a long time - becoming business partners as well its an interesting path I'd say," Sara laughed.

Speaking about their choice to open during a global pandemic, Sara added: "Luckily we don't have seats so its just takeaway.

 We thought that having a deli and a bakery would still allow us to stay open, given the time, so we said ok let's give it a go and let's see. 

"We source fresh eggs, dairy, meats, cheese, fruit & veg and pantry products from the highest quality producers.

"We make Tiramisu, fresh pasta and our own sough dough pizza. We go down to France, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland so that people don't get bored."

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She added: "It was probably the best time to find premises because most of them are even empty or all the rents are frozen- so you can kind of have a room for negotiation.

"In our research, we found out that the government does have some start-up schemes available despite the times. 

"We used a government-backed loan that we have to repay - but the interest is quite in your favour." 

The Italian couple has received a helping hand from Andrea's mother who travelled all the way from Italy to support their new venture. 

"As an Italian mum, she was born with cooking in her veins. She is brilliant and is a great help," said Sara.

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"We also got a young baker, a lovely girl who is very talented. 

"She is junior so, she is passionate about what she does and she is a great addition to our small smiley team."

Speaking about the response they have received from the community, Sara added: "Since we opened, we have really taken the time to establish a proper personal relationship with our customers.

 "Everyone came and introduced themselves, it's a really nice feeling, especially in these hard times when your hard work gets recognised somehow.

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"Everyone is so lovely, we try to say yes to every request. Being so small gives us the opportunity to make it tailor-made as well.

We try to bring some joy to our customers - we can't do much, but at least we can bring a tiny ray of light with our food. 

"We encourage everyone to be brave and start their business." 

Whisk can be found at 146 Arthur Road, Wimbledon Park, SW19 8AQ.

Opening times are as follows: 

Tue-Sat
09:00-17:00

Sunday
10:00-15:00

Have you launched a new business during the pandemic? Contact us at monica.charsley@newsquest.co.uk