When Thor Sonnichsen and Filippa Nilsson opened a little Scandinavian bakery in South Albury a decade ago, they hit the ground running.
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Baking northern European-inspired bread and pastries, Nord products sold like hot cakes - so to speak.
Nilsson said Border customers had backed them from the start.
"We were so busy we could hardly keep up," she said.
"Nobody was really doing bread and pastries in our style.
"Almond croissants, Swedish cinnamon scrolls and sourdough bread were very popular but the pumpkin bread and Danish rye also sold well too."
With their mammoth Viking sign atop the bakery and their iconic bicycle out the front, Nord became a hub for anyone with Scandinavian ties or a story to share.
Sonnichsen, who was born in Denmark and raised in Thurgoona, and Swedish-born Nilsson opened the speciality bakery in Ebden Street in May 2015, quickly finding their Border tribe.
"People would come to us with a story of how their grandparents were from Norway," Nilsson said.
"People came not only for the product but with a story and wanting connection."
Having met at a ski resort in Norway, Sonnichsen and Nilsson took the plunge 11 years ago to move to the Border, where Sonnichsen's parents were still based for half the year.
A pastry chef who trained in Denmark, Sonnichsen initially worked for Albury cafe The Proprietor, which was baking sourdough on the site that would become Nord Bakery.
With a background as a horse riding instructor in Scandinavia and Germany, Nilsson said before they knew it they had opened their own bakery.
"One thing led to another," she said.
"The site was already set up; we bought some second-hand baking equipment.
"We had a lot to learn but suddenly we knew so many people!"
Nilsson said there were many memorable moments and some things were inevitably lost in translation.
She recalled wishing a customer picking up bread for a wake a wonderful time with a bit too much enthusiasm.
"I thought it was a kind of political party and then I went out the back to the bakery and Thor said, 'Why were you so excited, a wake is after a funeral!'" Nilsson said.
"Other people wanted to know what bread they could use for sandwiches. I didn't know what they meant. I said you can use any of our bread for sandwiches; now I know they were looking for white, square sandwich bread!"
In a nod to Australian culture, Nord introduced hot cross buns with Scandinavian-inspired flavours. Patrons queued patiently every Easter for those sweet morsels.
"It is sad to see it go but it was time," Nilsson said.
"We want to say the biggest thank you to everyone who has supported and shopped with us over the years, without you small business wouldn't be possible.
"We baked small batches and people couldn't always get what they wanted when they wanted it. But they were prepared to try something different or come back at another time. That is why we were successful."
With Sonnichsen now travelling until mid-March and Nilsson awaiting her Australian citizenship, the couple planned to stay in Albury, take a small break from work and pursue their hobbies of skiing and hiking in their downtime.
They have retained the Nord business name and have not ruled out running another bakery in future.
Crust and Crumb Bakery will open in the Nord premises on Tuesday, February 27.
