The Whimsical Kitchen opens new shop in St Denys, Southampton

Experimentation with bright colours, exciting flavours and 'whimsical' ideas led to the creation of the aptly named The Whimsical Kitchen.

Bitterne Park resident Jackie Neat created the business five years ago following a suggestion from one of her friends to set up a Facebook page dedicated to her creative baked goods.

The Whimsical Kitchen creator Jackie Neat (right) with staff member Gemma Martin

Since then, Jackie has amassed over 26,000 followers on Instagram and makes orders for people all over the country, but recently decided to focus her efforts on serving her hometown.

She said: "The business was growing and I had two options: open an industrial unit to manage demand or get a shop. The industrial unit didn’t appeal to me. I have lived and worked in the community for 11 years now and I wanted to see people again.

"As the business grew, I just wanted to get back to the personal side of the business and talking with customers.

A sweet treat from The Whimsical Kitchen

"I chose the St Denys shop (on the A3035 near Cobden Bridge) as there was nothing in Bitterne Park Triangle, and my son is autistic and in secondary school so my shop had to be close to him.

"This shop needed so much work, but the landlord was so lovely and it felt right, so I just went for it. I love St Denys and I am really pleased now I am in this site.

The Whimsical Kitchen in St Denys, Southampton

"Everyone has been so nice, from people walking past and looking in, to people stopping and having a look in their cars at the traffic lights.

"The response has been amazing and I am really lucky I have a lot of customers. I am really excited to see them again and open the doors of the shop."

The doors to the shop officially open on Friday, February 4 at 11am until 3pm, and customers will be treated to a wide variety of exciting treats.

This includes filled cupcakes topped with marshmallow whip, Blondies, street waffle sandwiches with a Biscoff or Kinder Bueno centre, fudge, rainbow marshmallows, and Bakewell or Creme Egg stuffed cookies.

A filled cupcake from The Whimsical Kitchen

Jackie said: "There is nothing like The Whimsical Kitchen here. You can go into the city, but you have to pay for parking and drive, so for people locally I hope that they like having something within walking distance.

"Everything is handmade and hand-finished so it does take quite a lot of time, but doing it keeps the excitement there and being my own boss means I can be as creative as I want. I don’t like plain things.

A sweet treat from The Whimsical Kitchen

"I do think Southampton needs something like this."

The Whimsical Kitchen will be open on Saturday, February 5 from 11am to 2pm, then open only on Fridays between 10.30am and 3pm.

To find out more, visit www.thewhimsicalkitchen.com/ or search for The Whimsical Kitchen on Instagram or Facebook.