It started with a whisk, a second-hand oven and a love for baking. Now, thousands of home bakers across the country are turning spare sheds into mini cake empires, with some pulling in £1,000 a week. But a looming council crackdown on home food businesses could see these entrepreneurial dreams crumble like stale sponge.
In towns from Middlesbrough to Margate, the 'cake shed' phenomenon is booming. Mums, retirees and young bakers are using platforms like Instagram and Facebook Marketplace to sell everything from Victoria sponges to vegan gluten-free loaves. With overheads low and demand high – especially during the cost of living crisis – many say the extra income is a lifeline.
Sarah Jenkins, 34, a former care worker from Bolton, started baking from her garden shed last year after redundancy. 'I was scraping by on Universal Credit,' she says, icing a tray of lemon drizzle cakes. 'Now I earn £800 a week.
It's not just pocket money, it's paying my bills. Without it, I'd be in debt.' But success has a price.
Local authority rules on food hygiene require home bakers to register with environmental health, undergo inspections and comply with strict labelling laws. Many operate in a grey area, unaware or unwilling to navigate the bureaucracy. Councils, strapped for cash, are now targeting unregistered home businesses.
In the past six months, enforcement actions have risen by 40 per cent, according to data obtained by this paper. Fines can reach £5,000. Campaigners say the crackdown is disproportionate and punishes low-income families trying to earn an honest crust.
'The council says I need a commercial kitchen,' says Jenkins, 'but that costs thousands. I'm not a factory. I'm a mum with a mixer.
' The Food Standards Agency insists that rules exist to protect public health. 'We support small businesses, but food safety is non-negotiable,' a spokesperson said. Yet for many, the dream is worth the risk.
With wages stagnant and inflation still high on essentials like bread and milk, a cake shed can mean the difference between heating and eating. As one baker put it: 'I'd rather face a fine than see my kids go hungry.' But if the crackdown continues, some fear the only ones who can afford to sell cake will be the big supermarkets.
And that, they say, would be a bitter slice indeed.
