11-05-2025
- Business
- Powys County Times
Knighton baker Charlotte opens up cake shop in garden shed
A KEEN baker who started her own business during lockdown has just opened her first cake shop – or shed, to be precise.
Charlotte Locke, 24, has been baking in her spare time since 2020, when she launched Charl's Sweet Treats.
Charlotte's main employment is as a part-time dispenser at her local GP surgery, but at weekends she now dispenses cakes, cookies, shortbread, sponges, scones and tray bakes to the community of Knighton, from her own little wooden cake shed.
'I have been baking as a small business for five years and Charl's Sweet Treats started up in 2020, during lockdown,' said Charlotte.
'Having a cake shed has always been something I wanted to do, but I just never had the time to make it happen.'
The cake shed is located outside Mill Barn (LD7 1RT), on the outskirts of Knighton, and opened for the first time on April 13.
Cakes are for sale every Saturday and Sunday, with special opening hours during bank holiday weekends.
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The shed works on an honesty box policy with instructions listed inside the shed on how to make payments.
'Charl's Sweet Treats offers anything from small bakes to bigger bakes,' added Charlotte.
'Tray bakes, brownies, cookies, occasional/celebration cakes. Every weekend I try to do different cakes so that there's a bit of variety.'
Since opening last month, Charlotte has been overwhelmed by the response. 'The shed has been extremely busy and I am so grateful,' she said.
'Everyone has been really supportive and it's lovely to see the community I was born and raised in being so honest.'
The icing on the cake has been a five-star food hygiene rating that Charlotte received last week.
After another bumper bank holiday weekend, a post on Charlotte's Facebook page on Monday read: ' Knighton has been my home and where I was raised and the support has been amazing and I am just so grateful to live in such a kind community.
'From now on (unless there's any bank holidays or special events) the shed will be open Saturdays 9am-9pm and Sundays 9.30am-8pm. This gives me a chance to work, live and bake.
'The 13th of May marks one month of the cake shed being open, I can't believe it has been that long already."
