What started as a love for baking at home has grown into something truly special in the heart of the village. The Little Bake House is a small, family-run honesty shed bringing together homemade sweet treats, fresh savoury bakes, and a real sense of community, all built (quite literally) from the ground up.

In this Q&A, we chat about how it all began, the story behind the shed itself, balancing baking with family life, and the warm support from locals that’s helped it flourish.

How did The Little Bake House come about?

I’ve always loved baking and would regularly bake for family events. Over time, people kept saying I should start my own business, and the idea just stuck with me.

What made you decide to start a cake shed?

I had been thinking about the idea of a cake shed before we moved to the village in November last year. Once we arrived, I asked on the local Facebook page if it was something people would be interested in, and the response was so positive. With that encouragement, and with lovely comments from the Alton cake shed “The Honesty Slice”, I decided to go for it.

The shed itself has a bit of a story too — me and my mum actually built it ourselves. We found a little beach hut-style shed on Facebook, went to collect it, then cut it in half, added a roof and shelving, and painted it in my mum’s garage. I really wanted it to feel like a little house and fit in with the look of the village.

What do you enjoy most about running it?

I love being able to do something I enjoy while still working around my family life. I’m a mum of two, a teenager and a two-year-old, so having something flexible that fits around them is really important to me.

What’s been the most popular bake so far?

The savoury items have been most popular, especially the cheese straws!

Do you have a favourite thing you like to bake?

I really enjoy baking a mix of things, from sweet treats like brownies to fresh bread and focaccia. It’s nice being able to offer a variety so there’s something for everyone. I also try to use good quality, local ingredients where I can, including eggs sourced from the village, flour from a nearby mill and milk from Wheat Brothers Dairy Farm.

What’s the local response been like since you opened?

The support from the village has been amazing. Everyone has been so kind and encouraging, and it’s been lovely seeing people come back regularly.

Anything you’d love people to know when they visit?

Everything is homemade and baked in small batches, so once it’s gone, it’s gone! I’m currently open Fridays and Saturdays from 10am–8pm, with fresh items added throughout the day where possible. Any surplus at the end of the weekend goes into Too Good To Go bags for £5 on Sundays.

At the moment I run the bake house around my young family, but I’m hoping to open more days once my little one starts preschool.

The Little Bake House is a small, family-run honesty shed, created to fit around a busy home life and to bring something a little special to Oakamoor. With no village shop, it’s been lovely to be able to offer both sweet treats and fresh savoury bakes for the local community, using locally sourced ingredients wherever possible.