The story behind the rise of nine-year-old Classic Bakery, started many years ago, when Mariam Gameeldien was just a little girl and never looked back.

Mariam worked from home for many years and eventually, Mariam found alternate premises and opened Classic Bakery at 212 Thornton Road, Crawford in 1999.

At Classic Bakery, we offer good quality products at affordable prices. We bake to customers' specifications. They can bring a picture from a magazine and we will bake it for them. All our goods are freshly baked - the good old-fashioned way and we do not use pre-mixes. In that way, clients always get a fresh product and in that way we never have any waste. We offer exclusive and traditional products, including Halaal products, at very affordable prices. Customers have to order in advance for us to plan our days and to ensure that we have their orders ready on time. We always work to deadlines and our motto is "failing to plan is planning to fail".

Recently, Mariam received a Women in Business Networking award for 2003 and confesses that her husband, two children their spouses and six grandchildren are what keep her going. A visit to Classic Bakery, where witty American diner inspired signs hanging in the window invites customers in with little smiley faces, is a worthwhile one.