Having spent 25 years working at Collectibles and Solutions Centre, Cheryle Watson is now hoping to stamp a new career for herself in the baking business.
Since liberating herself from "the stamp centre", as she calls it, Ms Watson has been developing her passion for baking into a business.
She started out
with dial-a-cake two years ago, and went on to start her own catering business, Blossom Catering, about a year ago.
She was selling her wares at the Whanganui River Traders Market and did a stint catering for the Wanganui Golf Club, when her daughter suggested she set up shop in her home.
Ms Watson opened Blossom Bakery in her Tudor home "Rosewood Manor", 183 London Street, on Thursday, selling sandwiches, slices, doughnuts and muffins - not your ordinary muffins, though, these are more like cakes, but she's yet to come up with a fitting name for them yet.
She had hoped to open the bakery in time for the start of the Masters Games, but her driveway had to be widened for her new shop and it was not finished in time.
She has also started doing lunch runs with a van around local businesses.
Ms Watson said she currently hired just a few casual staff, but the business was a family affair with her daughters-in-law helping out.
They had just finished helping her paint the bakery in mock grey brick, in keeping with her home's Tudor theme.
A suit of armour also stands guard next to the till.
She is not a qualified baker, "just an old-school one". In particular, she likes to experiment with flavours, such as her mixed berry and custard muffins.
She also hopes to start making cheesecakes.
"Whatever I can dream up," she said.
The businesses had been a lot of work, with early-morning starts.
Making her own food was quite time consuming, she said.
In future, she hopes to hire out her garden as a wedding and special occasion venue, and start making takeaway meals.
For now, she is only opening her bakery from Thursday to Saturday from 7am, but she would open more often if there was demand.
"I feel like I'm growing," she said.
