The elusive nanas baking up a storm you won't be able to find

Two nanas with a passion for baking took their hobby to the next level as a way to keep busy in their 70s.

Joyce Lewis and Jan Richardson came to know each other after Joyce's son married Jan's daughter, forming a friendship that's still going strong 30 years later. The pair later worked together at a café in Bromborough baking up sweet treats for customers and cakes for newlyweds.

But following the cafe's closure in 2020 due to Covid, Joyce and Jan turned their attentions elsewhere. Focusing on their love for baking, the pair decided to channel their skills into creating goods they could take on the road.

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Jan told the ECHO: "We couldn't sit and do nothing so we did a couple of trade fairs then a gold course to help with a fundraiser but then we started to move on to the big offices. We wanted this to be more of a hobby than a business. We don't have a store or a space for customers so it's quite nice to be able to do this on our own terms."

Joyce said: "In the beginning, we thought this was going to be so difficult but we looked on Facebook and got in touch with places and it went from there. We're in our 70s now so we don't want too much trouble with putting up a gazebo and carrying everything everywhere so we thought we'd do it differently and our way.

"We reached out to a few places to ask if we could come in with a table and they said yes. We only have to take it all from the car. It's a lot better for us. We have cards and Facebook but we don't advertise where we will be. We just turn up."

The pair have lovingly dubbed their hobby Nana's Pantry. All packaging they use is recyclable or used from recycled materials and any leftover items from their day are donated to a dog's home - leaving zero waste in their wake. With every new venue, Joyce and Jan whip up a storm to ensure all bases are covered. Joyce said: "If we don't know the venue then we do a bit of everything."

Bakewell tarts, bread pudding, lemon drizzle, Victoria sponge, crispy cupcakes, quiche and plenty more are piled high on the table but they sell out in no time. Jan said: "It's all fresh because if someone buys a cake they want it to be fresh. If anything is still here we give it to the dogs."

Jan and Joyce's kids have left the nest but their grandchildren still get first helpings of their favourite snacks. Joyce said: "We pack everything up but they'll say they want bits and pieces or they'll have things like quiche we bring home. The family is so supportive.

Jan added: "We've had a lot of people come back if they see us because they really like what we do. That's always nice. They ask where they can find us and we have to tell them we don't know because we don't know where we're off to next. But everyone has been so supportive. There's a building we go to and as soon as people know we're there they come down from the office and it's absolutely lovely."

Joyce said: "It's nice for us to keep going. Most people our age are in their slippers in front of the TV but it's really encouraging. It keeps us going. This is why it started. We wanted to do something to keep us out of the chair. We make hardly any money from this and our prices are quite low but we really enjoy doing it. Baking at home, going out and meeting people and seeing everyone enjoy what we do, it makes us very happy."

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