'My micro-bakery is booming despite cake thieves'

Sophie Weeks stands next to the pink micro-bakery - a shed with a bolt on the front. Signs on the shed say CCTV is in operation. There are signs with information about her produce, and one sign says "Open". — Image caption,
Sophie Weeks said she has been rushed off her feet every day since she opened the bakery

Clare Ashford

BBC Shropshire

Tanya Gupta

BBC News, West Midlands

5 hours ago

A woman who quit her job as a lorry driver to open a micro-bakery in her front garden has said business is booming – even though thieves targeted her produce.

Sophie Weeks, from Telford, set up the tiny pink bakery outside her house, so that customers can help themselves to homemade cakes, pies, cheesecakes, brownies and jams and pay for them using an honesty box.

However, the bakery - called Geeky Desserts - was targeted by thieves two weeks ago, with bakes worth £50 taken. But Ms Weeks said the community rallied round to help her.

"People have been amazing. The support I've received, I never thought that people would come behind me like that," she said.

"It's so busy now, I'm rushed off my feet every day, it's just been incredible."

'Big dreams'

After the theft, Ms Weeks posted on Facebook, external that the micro-bakery was her main source of income and said: "Over £50 worth of stuff has gone."

After people commented on and shared her posts and visited the micro-bakery to buy cake – many of them leaving tips, she wrote, external: "Thank you all from the bottom of my heart."

The inside of the shed has cake in clear containers on the top shelf, and bags containing cookies with labels on the second shelf. There is a cool bag at the bottom of the cupboard. The door has paper bags for people to use and an honesty box where people can leave cash and make suggestions. There is a pen and a notepad for people to leave messages, and there are signs about the honesty box and the business. — Image caption,
She built and painted the shed which is outside her front garden

Ms Weeks, daughter of a haulier, said she became a lorry driver after leaving school because driving was "a big passion of mine".

But she gave it up because of a greater love of baking and "big dreams" to open her business.

Ms Weeks, who also bakes birthday cakes, hopes one day to have a full-sized bakery.

She built and painted the pink shed with her boyfriend, and chose to use an honesty box, even though it was a risk, because she "can't really stand there with a card reader all day".

A Ring doorbell and cameras have now been installed near the shed in Arran Way, Muxton, she said, adding: "Hopefully, it won't happen again."

Directions and details on how the micro-bakery works are on social media, with information on its five-star hygiene certificate, external.