Gardening tools and lawnmowers are typical fixtures in garden sheds, but not at Danielle Edington’s home in Kings Heath. Instead, her shed is stocked with homemade brownies, cookies, slices, cakes, and other tempting treats.
At 41, Danielle has turned her passion for baking into a booming business by opening a ‘cake shed’—a concept popularized on TikTok—right in front of her house. The popularity of her Lavender Cake Shed has grown so much that she’s left her full-time role as a school catering manager to focus on it full-time.
Initially, Danielle worried that an honesty box payment system might encourage theft. However, the overwhelming positive response from the community has restored her faith in humanity.
READ MORE: Wolverhampton Council Greenlights £500,000 SEND Refurbishment at Springdale Primary School
READ MORE: Government Inspector Overturns Solihull Council’s Refusal, Labels It ‘Unreasonable’
Dani, a mother of two, aged nine and twelve, combines her culinary skills and academic background. She trained as a commis chef while studying geography at the University of Birmingham. Over nearly two decades, she worked in various roles, including head chef positions at restaurants, wedding venues, contract catering, and educational institutions.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, she began delivering afternoon teas from home, which evolved into creating bespoke birthday cakes, celebration bakes, and catering for events. Eventually, she transformed her front garden shed into an unmanned shop where customers can buy cakes directly.
She shared, “We chose the lavender theme because of the lavender bushes in our garden, my daughter’s middle name, and my business logo, ‘What Dani Cooks,’ which features lavender. I spent a week preparing the shed, adding shelves and even installing grass to make it inviting.”
Situated between her doorstep and lounge window, the shed operates without staff. Customers select their treats and either place cash in an envelope through the letterbox or pay using a QR code. Since launching on Halloween, demand soared with “queues” and frequent restocking.
“I have a camera to monitor who takes what and haven’t had any issues with stealing,” Dani said. “If theft were to become a problem, I’d have to close, but so far, honesty has been remarkable.”
Her business is fully registered, insured, and boasts a five-star food hygiene rating. Dani prepares ingredients in an on-site garden building and bakes in her kitchen.
“Running this from home lowers overhead costs, which benefits my customers. It also allows me to be available for my children, something I couldn’t do with my previous job,” she explained.
Support from neighbors has been strong, with a local WhatsApp group keeping the community informed about the shed’s offerings. Open daily from 9 am to 9 pm, the shed’s convenience attracts customers from as far as Redditch and Solihull.
Dani concluded, “It gives people the flexibility to buy homemade treats anytime they want. I feel incredibly grateful for how well the community has embraced it.”