MP caught up in cake business crackdown row

Emily Price

A Welsh council has been accused of carrying out a “co-ordinated crack down” on small cake businesses – including one that was promoted just last month by a Member of Parliament as his “business of the week”.

Independent councillor Martin Williams branded Bridgend County Borough Council (BCBC) “heavy handed” after two cake sheds in his Coity ward were threatened with prosecution.

The councillor warned that similar action has been taken against other small cake businesses across Bridgend.

He said: “It has been brought to my attention that two small cake businesses have been visited by BCBC officers who have told them to cease trading from their gardens under threat of prosecution.

“I also understand that the same action may have been taken against others across Bridgend.

“I share the view of many of you that this seems heavy handed. I have therefore submitted an urgent referral seeking answers as to why this action has been taken.”

Shared Regulatory Services – which covers Bridgend, Cardiff, and the Vale of Glamorgan – says action was taken against a number of cake shed businesses following complaints from members of the public.

The Cake Hut in Parc Derwen was one of the businesses hit with orders to shut down.

It came just a month after Bridgend MP Chris Elmore promoted it on social media as part of his “business of the week” feature.

Run by mum of two Lauren, the self service cake shed offered fresh home made bakes on Saturdays.

‘Joy’

Praising the business in April, Mr Elmore said: “After having her children, she returned to baking for a more flexible routine.

“Following her son’s severe cow’s milk allergy diagnosis, baking became both an outlet and inspiration.

“She says the community support has been incredible, and the joy her bakes bring — especially to children — makes it all worthwhile.”

On Tuesday (May 19), The Cake Hut announced that BCBC had shut the business down until it obtains a street trading licence.

In a post to Facebook, Lauren said: “I have today been informed by an officer from BCBC that I may require a street trading license in order to operate the Cake Hut in its current setup and that I am not allowed to open the hut until I have worked with the council on this.

“The timescales and full requirements of this process for a cake shed are unclear, although I will try my best as I’d love to see the Cake Hut open again!

“I love the community that has been built around the Cake Hut and it is sad to see that this is in jeopardy.

“With that being said, I am going to look into options of offering click & collect from the house, as I am able to operate on a pre order basis from the front door.

“Thank you so much for all the support — it genuinely means a lot. I will keep this page updated and will hopefully have an update soon!”

Bridgend MP Chris Elmore was invited to comment but did not respond.

Sought-after

Cake sheds are unmanned, honesty-box style structures – typically in converted garden sheds or huts – where local bakers sell homemade treats.

Platforms like TikTok and Instagram have transformed cake sheds from quiet local secrets into sought-after destinations.

Bake shed The Coity Cwtch has also announced it was shut down this week.

Run by sisters Rebecca and Kelly, the business offered fresh, homemade cakes, brownies and Welsh cakes.

In a post to Facebook, the pair said: “What began with two sisters and a simple shared passion for cake has grown faster than we ever could have imagined.

“It’s been a bittersweet week behind the scenes, with trading at a number of cake sheds across Bridgend and Porthcawl appearing to have been paused by BCBC.

“Through it all, the kindness and support from this community has meant everything to us.

“We’re holding onto hope that we’ll be opening the shed door again very soon!”

Concerns

Cllr Williams says that while he understands the council had a duty to enforce regulations, the fact that multiple cake sheds were targeted suggested there was a “co-ordinated crackdown” rather than action taken in response to specific concerns.

He said: “From my discussions with affected business owners it’s clear that this action was very much about enforcement and there was very little if any advice or guidance offered.

“I have also had concerns expressed that the warnings given by officers may not accurately reflect the council’s policies with respect to trading from home.

“It is also clear that they want to operate within the law, are eager to do so but now feel targeted, confused and disheartened.

“Before embarking on this heavy handed action I would have expected BCBC to have undertaken a campaign to highlight the rules for all home based micro businesses and offer guidance.

“The business landscape has changed considerably in the last 5 years with a shift away from traditional trading models.

“BCBC needs to adapt to this and I urge the administration to urgently review its policies so that cake sheds and other micro-businesses can thrive whilst ensuring compliance with regulation.

“It is essential that in an increasingly competitive world, BCBC does all it can to support businesses of all sizes and sends a a clear message that Bridgend is a natural home for entrepreneurs”

‘Complaints’

A spokesman for the Shared Regulatory Service, which supports Bridgend, Cardiff and the Vale of Glamorgan councils, said: “Over recent weeks, the Licensing department has received complaints from members of the public in relation to several commercial cake businesses allegedly operating without necessary permissions.

“As a result, our licensing officers have visited the different premises to establish if Street Trading Consent is required, and to provide appropriate advice to the business owners.

“While no enforcement action has been taken, the owners have been advised that where they are offering goods for sale within 30 metres from the highway, a licence is required in accordance with legislation governing Street Trading and our Street Trading Policy, which attempts to ensure that all businesses operate on an equal playing field and that nuisance in residential areas is kept to a minimum.

“Obtaining a licence would involve a consultation period where, if objections were received, the application would proceed to a hearing before the Licensing Sub-Committee so it could be determined.

“However, no licence would be required where a collection service was offered for orders placed online.

“The Licensing team are of course happy to assist and liaise with businesses who wish to submit applications.”