The baker at the centre of the Binky Felstead freebie cake row has publicly condemned councils trying to ban mothers from selling homemade sweet treats from their driveways.
Reshmi Bennett first hit the headlines in April after Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead requested Reshmi’s luxury cake business, Anges de Sucre, make a free ‘yellow train cake’ for her son’s birthday, with an online promotion as payment.
Taking to social media to mock the influencer for her request, Reshmi, 42, even launched a spoof GoFundMe page asking for donations of £1.4million for the cake – in reference to the celebrity’s huge online follower count and alleged net worth.
Now, the star baker has spoken out in support of mothers selling brownies from their driveways who are at risk of being forced to pay a £1,000 licence by killjoy councils.
In Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, a group of cake shed owners have been campaigning against the introduction of a council-enforced street trading licence which costs £1,007 to obtain.
The district council, who believe that some sheds can bring in up to £90,000 a year, have insisted that those who fail to obtain this licence could face a £1,000 fine.
Deliberations on the controversial licence have been temporarily halted.
Now, Reshmi has taken to Instagram to contribute to the heated online debate. Under a series of images, the baker declared that she believes ‘councils are trying to kill off cake sheds’ for several reasons.
‘They hate entrepreneurialism, they hate community, they hate people working hard just to make a little extra, they hate fresh home made baked goods without preservatives’ and ‘they hate joy,’ she claimed.
Reshmi Bennett (pictured), the baker at the centre of the Binky Felstead freebie cake row, has publicly condemned councils who are trying to ban mothers from selling homemade sweet treats in their driveways
Under a series of images, the baker declared that she believes ‘councils are trying to kill off cake sheds’ for several reasons
In Bassetlaw, Nottinghamshire, a group of cake shed owners have been campaigning against the introduction of a council-enforced street trading licence which costs £1,007 to obtain. Pictured: Reshmi’s words of anger towards local councils clamping down on ‘cake sheds’
‘So please go enjoy your local cake sheds. Before the government tries to ruin this for us too.’
Attached to an image of a baker posing outside of her bake shed, Reshmi wrote: ‘This is Elsa. She owns the Sticky Whisks cake shed in Aldershot. She also has two other jobs, one of which is being a civil servant.
‘She bakes everything from scratch in her home bakery to stock her shed from 9am every Saturday. Come rain or shine.
‘There was a queue outside from 9am. Lovely little buzz in the queue. Excited squeals and ooohs and aahs. Chit chat.
‘Sounds great! Right? But now, the councils have a big issue with cake sheds.’
She added that while the councils do have ‘valid concerns’, these rules are typically ‘already covered’ and ‘legit home bakers are already doing the bare minimum’.
‘You see, to produce from any premises, be it home, production or retail, the production must be registered with their local council,’ she explained.
‘Once registered, the Environmental Health Officer, aka EHO, comes round to inspect to make sure the producer is adhering to all the food safety standards and regulations including and not limited to: Food safety qualifications, health, hygiene, cleanliness, allergens and labelling, HACCP procedures, insurance documentation.’
Reshmi went on to ask: ‘who is the competition?’
‘These sheds are in rural/suburban, middle-of-nowhere homes. Not cropping up on the Kings Road, Karen.’
In response to one critic who argued that cake shed owners should ‘pay something’, Reshmi commented: ‘I am not in the least bit threatened by a cake shed, nor embittered.
‘Dulling someone else’s light doesn’t make mine shine brighter.’
Taking to her Instagram stories following the post, Reshmi questioned ‘how is a little cake shed a threat to your business?! Or mine?!’
Reshmi first hit the headlines in April after Made in Chelsea star Binky Felstead (pictued with her son) requested a free ‘yellow train cake’ for her son’s birthday and would use an online promotion as payment
Sarah Baker (pictured), a mother-of-three, fears she may have to shut her beloved cake shed due to the new restrictions
On Wednesday, council officers at Bassetlaw District Council were asked to reconsider the controversial £1,007 ‘cake shed’ licence that has caused uproar across the country.
A council spokesman declared that councillors ‘could not reach a consensus on the approach to cake sheds’ and required ‘further consideration of the policy’. Their next meeting is set for July 22.
In recent weeks, several ‘cake shed’ owners have publicly refuted the councils seeking to clamp down on the small decorated sheds.
Sarah Baker, a mother-of-three, launched her cake shed in Maidstone last September in a bid to make some extra cash. However, she was taken aback when she learnt that she could be fined if she did not apply for a street trading licence.
‘I was gutted really, because I thought, “I work hard, I’ve got a good little thing and then I could lose that money, that little bit of income”,’ she said.
‘I’m devastated to be honest because you work so hard and put your heart into it to try and build this. It’s really gutting that I could lose this if I can’t afford to do it. I feel like they’re trying to take everything away from you.
‘I feel it’s just another way to make money from us. I just think it’s unfair. Nine months of working hard and it could go. I could lose it all.’
Now, Sarah is fighting against the proposals for a trading licence and wants any decision made by the council to be fair to those operating a cake shed on their own property, not a street.
If she does have to obtain a street trading licence, she says it’s unlikely she’ll be able to afford to keep trading, as she tends to make from £60 to £100 a weekend.
Meanwhile, Mel Houston, who operated a cake shed from her garden in the nearby village of Harrietsham, has since been forced to close it down after she discovered that the council may require her to obtain a licence.
On Wednesday, council officers at Bassetlaw District Council were asked to reconsider the controversial £1,0007 ‘cake shed’ licence that has caused uproar across the country
Bassetlaw district council, who believe that some sheds can bring in up to £90,000 a year, have insisted that those who fail to obtain this licence could face a £1,000 fine
Mel Houston, who operated a cake shed (pictured) from her garden in the village of Harrietsham, Kent, has since been forced to close it down after she discovered that the council may require her to obtain a licence
The dementia carer only opened the shed a few months earlier, once a week on a Sunday, as she said her kitchen is her ‘happy place’.
The 51-year-old has a five-star hygiene rating, a level two food safety and hygiene certification and food safety allergen awareness, but learnt that she could face a fine for not having a licence.
‘It was a bit of a kick in the teeth,’ she said. ‘I shut it down straight away. I was deflated more than anything and upset for the residents as it brought the community together.’
A report for Bassetlaw’s licensing committee, prepared by council officers, said: ‘Including cake sheds in the street trading policy ensures consistency, fairness, and public protection.
‘They function in the same way as traditional street trading units, and without regulation, they create an uneven playing field and reduce the ability to manage safety, location, and standards, and can lead to enforcement difficulties later on.’
A Maidstone council spokesman said: ‘Street trading legislation can apply where goods are sold in locations accessible to the public, including in some circumstances from residential premises. However, this is not always straightforward and each case needs to be considered individually.
‘Maidstone council is aware of the concerns being raised by small-scale operators such as ‘cake sheds’. Many of these are low-level, home-based businesses that are already appropriately registered with Environmental Health, and we recognise the positive role they play within local communities.
‘The council’s current Street Trading Policy was not designed with this type of activity in mind, and we accept that it can appear disproportionate when applied in these circumstances.
‘As a result, we are actively reviewing the position to ensure the approach we take is fair, proportionate and supports small local businesses, whilst still meeting our legal obligations.
‘Where enquiries are received at the moment, our focus is on providing advice and clarity, rather than enforcement.
‘Any action would only ever be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account the nature and impact of the activity. For other examples, such as egg sales from residential properties, the same principles apply and it will depend on the specific circumstances, including the scale and nature of the operation.
‘We would encourage anyone who is unsure to contact the council for advice.’
In recent weeks, several ‘cake shed’ owners have publicly refuted the councils seeking to clamp down on the small decorated sheds.Pictued: a cake shed selling homemade goods
Reshmi’s controversial comments come not long after Binky was forced to publicly address ‘cakegate’ and admitted that she was ‘completely at fault’ and ‘understands frustrations’.
In response to the original form sent to Reshmi’s business, Reshmi shared that she had tried to convert it into a sale as she asked for the client’s budget, post code and image references.
But Binky’s team pushed back, replying: ‘Thanks for your message. Would you be interested in collaborating on the cake? As in the cake would be gifted in exchange for a story on [redacted]’s Instagram?’
Rather than opting for a ‘sassy’ response – which Reshmi said would be her typical approach – she instead expressed her disappointment and referenced Binky’s ‘wealth’ before suggesting it would be a better look for the reality star if she paid.
Binky’s team replied saying she had made ‘a valid point about optics’ and would speak to the star before coming back to Reshmi on whether they were happy to pay.
It was at this point that Reshmi took to Instagram to share screenshots of the communication between them.
She then received a ‘disheartened’ email from Binky’s team after they had seen her post – where they insisted the goal was never to ‘grab a free cake’.
The public shaming then prompted another company, Funfetti, to reveal that it had taken up such an offer by Binky, agreeing to make her wedding cake, only for her not to follow through on her promises.
Reshmi has previously hit headlines over her fury at influencers requesting free cakes and her social media is full of posts from the baker making it clear she does not accept ‘exposure’ as payment.
