British Bakers Expand Cake Shed Businesses Across the Countryside

Homemade cakes are drawing customers to roadside sheds across Britain, where home bakers sell their creations directly to passersby through informal honor-system stalls. The growing trend, which has gained momentum in 2026, offers bakers an additional source of income while giving customers access to locally made treats in rural villages and suburban neighborhoods.

The concept builds on Britain's long-standing tradition of honesty boxes, small roadside structures where customers collect produce and leave payment. Cake sheds have expanded that model to include individually packaged baked goods, with payments accepted in cash, through QR codes or by card machines.

According to Mark and Michelle Percy, founders of the online cake shed directory cakesheds.com, the website listed more than 300 sheds after launching in April 2026. They created the directory in response to the growing number of these businesses appearing along roadsides.

Michelle Evans, who operates a cake shed in Appledore, southwest England, balances baking with her full-time work as a carer at a retirement home in Devon. She typically begins baking on Friday nights to stock the shed for Saturday morning, sometimes working until 11 p.m.

Evans can prepare as many as 150 cake portions over a weekend, including lemon drizzle cake, rocky road and millionaire's shortbread. Her products sell for between £2.50 and £3 each, allowing her to earn as much as £450, or about $590, over a weekend when all her stock sells.

Her stall stands in a family friend's garden beside the South West Coast Path in Devon. The popular walking route attracts nine million visitors annually along its 630 miles of coastal paths and beach boardwalks, giving the shed access to passing walkers.

Despite the workload, Evans said her motivation extends beyond earnings.

"It's hard work, but I love it," Evans said.

The business also carries a family connection. Evans named the shed after her grandmother, Wyn, who ran a bakery in Appledore and was widely known in the community.

"My grandmother, Wyn, who the shed is named after, used to have a bakery in Appledore and everybody knew her. So I'm continuing a family tradition," Evans said.

Evans has operated the shed consistently for 18 months, with her family helping maintain the business. Her son assists with setting out the baked goods, while her daughter manages social media updates about available products and the shed's location.

Michelle Percy said online sharing has helped the trend spread as customers discover sheds and tell others about them.

"I think more and more cake sheds have started popping up and social media has really helped them spread like wildfire," Michelle Percy said.

The directory's growth reflects how customers can use social platforms to share local discoveries. Percy said the simple format makes the sheds easy to feature in online posts, helping new customers find them.

"They're such a lovely thing to discover and incredibly easy to share online, so one person finds a cake shed, posts about it and suddenly lots of other people know about it," Michelle Percy said.

The Percys' interest began after a cake shed opened in their own village, prompting them to investigate how widespread the concept had become.

"We've always been big dessert people, so when a local cake shed opened up in our village, we were really excited," Michelle Percy said.

"We'd seen a few popping up here and there and started wondering just how many cake sheds were actually out there," she added.

Jenna Powell, a former teacher in Swimbridge, Devon, has developed her cake shed into a full-time business after leaving her part-time job. Her stall operates daily from morning until night and includes a card machine, a refrigerator for iced coffee and a live camera.

Powell said customer demand has remained consistent, helping her make the transition away from employment that provided a regular income.

"I've never not had a customer, which is amazing. People hold themselves back thinking that they can't do it and obviously, it's a really scary leap. For two years I felt like I couldn't live without a steady income that's guaranteed, but the cake shed has got busier and busier because I can give it my all now," Powell said.

She also credits the stall's location for helping attract customers. It sits near a school, drawing activity during afternoon pickup, and along a road that remains popular with commuters after a ring road diverted traffic between two major towns.

"I'm right next to a school, so the afternoon school run is a bit of a rush, and our road used to link two big towns before the ring road was built, so many people still use it to get to work," Powell said.

The shed sits at the end of her driveway above the footpath, with fairy lights and flowers decorating the structure.

"It advertises itself," Powell said.

Powell's best-selling product is school cake, a traditional vanilla sponge topped with white icing and sprinkles that has been served to generations of British schoolchildren. Her other offerings include cheesecakes and tiramisu.

Operating a cake shed also requires practical preparation. According to the article, sellers need a food hygiene certificate and public liability insurance, alongside the time and resources required to prepare fresh stock for customers.