Home baker shuts cake shed over 'ridiculous' rules

Home baker shuts cake shed over 'ridiculous' rules36 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleRebecca BriceandDavid Pittam,NottinghamBBCNatalie Brook said council rules meant it was not worth operating her cake shedA home baker has said she has closed her cake shed because council rules could cost her hundreds of pounds to get a street trading licence.Natalie Brook, 37, has sold cakes from her garden in Rhodesia, in Nottinghamshire, since January.But recently, cake shed owners have said they have been told by Bassetlaw District Council they needed a licence, costing £1,007, or they could face a £1,000 fine.The council said it had decided people selling cakes in this way fell under its street trading policy, and while it is aimed mostly at bigger businesses, it cannot make exceptions.The sheds are filled with baked goods customers buy through an honesty systemBut for Natalie, who has been baking cakes on the weekend, the cost of a licence means it is no longer worth opening.She said she was not directly contacted by the council - believing she may have missed a visit from officers - but had been informed by other cake shed owners in the area."It feels like a lot," she added."I understand that other businesses have to pay these licences for burger vans or whatever, but they're on actual streets. This is in my garden. "We are not serving hundreds of people. I could understand if it was a lower amount, but £1,007 to sell a few cakes at the weekend, just seems ridiculous."Natalie Brooks said she registered with the council and had a visit from environmental health officers when she first started tradingNatalie said she would have to sell about 500 cakes to pay for the licence for the cake shed and start to make a profit.Instead, she will now trial offering a pre-order service from her house, where customers can place an order to collect at the weekend, but she remains unconvinced."I find it bizarre I can sell from my fron...