18-05-2025
People are queuing out the door to buy incredibly indulgent milkshakes and cakes at this new shop
People are queuing out the door to buy incredibly indulgent milkshakes and cakes at this new shop
Jayde Brown started off selling cakes to friends and family during Covid, now she has her own shop and people lining up to try her bakes and shakes
Jayde Brown, who runs Pixie Cakes in Killay
(Image: Jayde Brown )
It started of as a small side hustle for Jayde Brown, baking cakes for friends and family. Now she has people queuing out her door just to get a taste of one.
Jayde first launched her baking venture Pixie Cakes in 2015 and has spent the last decade steadily building a loyal following in Swansea.
From nostalgic treat boxes delivered during lockdown to her much-loved Cookie Stack celebration cakes and Brownie Bombs, Jayde's creations have become a hit at local markets and cafes across the city.
Her inventive takes on classic bakes, packed with popular sweets, have helped her to stand out in the Swansea food scene, and six weeks ago, Jayde brought her dream full circle by opening her first shop in the Swansea suburb of Killay, where she grew up. For the latest restaurant news and reviews, sign up to our food and drink newsletter here
Pixie Cakes has already gained lots of attention locally
(Image: Jayde Brown )
Growing up in Killay, she's got to know the area and locals well, and has previously worked in the florist's shop which was there, as well as the news agents and a pasty shop. She had also worked as a papergirl.
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Jayde has now set out to make Pixie Cakes more than just a shop, but also somewhere people can come and get to know the staff members, mingle with other shoppers and become part of the community.
The shop also sells locally roasted coffee, indulgent milkshakes made from her own bakes, and handmade products from other independent Welsh makers.
Inside Pixie Cakes, which sells lots of products from local makers
(Image: Jayde Brown )
It all started during the pandemic, when baking quickly became more than just a pastime for Jayde, but a small business that helped her stay connected with her community, selling cakes to family and friends before she started doing stalls at different markets around the area.
'I started baking just to keep myself busy,' Jayde explained to WalesOnline. 'I'm not one to sit still really and I just really got into it.
'The practice just turned into lots more practice. I actually went travelling just before lockdown and when I came back to my old job they had closed down so that was another reason I really went for it when the pandemic hit.'
Jayde's bakery focuses on quality and care in every order, and the atmosphere inside the shop is one of the most important things to her.
She noted: 'I always encourage the girls who work at the shop to engage with everyone because I want it to feel like an experience really, so that older people in particular who come here aren't just in a corner on their own or anything.
'I want them to come in so they can have a bit of company for the day as well and for us to have a proper chat with everybody,
'So far it's been going so well. It's crazy really because there's been queues outside the door on some days. It's honestly so surreal.'
One of the popular items at Pixie Cakes is the indulgent milkshakes which are made from Jayde's own bakes
(Image: Jayde Brown )
When asked where she got her ideas for her creations from, Jayde explained: 'I'm actually dyslexic, so I think my creativity comes out in other ways for me and I wanted to make sure that even at the markets, there'd be lots of different traders there at a time and rather than seeing it as a competition it used to make me think about what I can do differently so that there'd be lots of variety there.'
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Looking ahead, Jayde hopes to grow her bakery and one day open up in an even bigger space, but right now, she is still making the most of being part of the community and enjoying all that it has to offer.
She added: 'I think the long term plan would definitely be to also have somewhere else bigger but the OG of Pixie Cakes will definitely also always stay here in Killay.'
