Melbourne favourite ‘sweet studio’, Burch & Purchese, announced this week that they would be closing their doors permanently on April 8. Owned by husband and wife duo Cath Claringbold and Darren Purchese, the shop has been operating in South Yarra for the past 12 years.

Originally opened by Darren and then business partner Ian Burch in 2011, the shop has been run by Darren and Cath since 2012, when Ian took a step back from the business.

Both Darren and Cath brought extensive baking acumen to the venture, building it up to be one of the ‘it’ places in Melbourne through their supply of cakes, cookies, tarts, chocolates, and myriad other sweet delights.

“We want to express our heartfelt thanks to all our customers for their unwavering support over the years. Your loyalty has been the driving force behind our success, and we are grateful for each one of you,” Cath and Darren wrote in an announcement on all of Burch & Purchese’s social media channels.

“We’ve had the time of our lives baking for you, but it’s time for us to explore other creative pursuits, and of course Darren will be keeping busy in his role as judge on The Great Australian Bake Off,” the statement continued.

“There are also delicious cookbooks to write, online classes to host, pop ups to be had, and collaborations to work on. We are launching a new website later this year with recipes, food inspo, videos, and much more.”

Many commenters took to social media to express their sad sentiments over the closure under the announcement posts, with customers also sharing well wishes and congratulations for Cath and Darren going into the future.