How new Bake Me Home cake shed in Darlington is thriving

Abby Carpenter – who has raked in over 400,000 online likes thanks to her baking videos – has turned her lifelong passion into a thriving community business.

After coming home from her demanding full-time job, Abby spends her evenings baking hundreds of treats for her bright pink honesty box filled with chocolate and gooey delights.

What started as a New Year’s resolution for the local baker has quickly grown into a popular cake shed venture in West Park.

Customers are travelling across Darlington to pick up her sweet treats from Bake Me Home.

Bake Me Home’s cake shed opened in April. (Image: Bake Me Home)

The founder, from Hurworth, said she has been overwhelmed by the support she has received since launching the business earlier this year.

On her TikTok page, she said: “I had a dream of opening a cake shed, now it’s become a reality!”

Having grown up baking with her mum from a young age, Abby always dreamed of turning her hobby into something more.

While she pursued a demanding full-time career, she frequently wowed friends and family with her baking creations and eventually decided it was time to take a chance on herself.

“I thought if it doesn’t work out, at least I’ve tried it,” Abby told the Northern Echo.

“Now we’re here in the summer and it’s taken off very successfully,” she added.

Bake Me Home specialises in brownies, cookies, cupcakes and other homemade treats, sold from a pink cake shed outside Abby’s home, with her edible cookie dough already a firm favourite with locals.

Bake Me Home’s edible cookie dough is one of the most popular items on the roster. (Image: Bake Me Home)

For Abby, the biggest success has been the sense of community the business has helped create.

Families, dog walkers, runners and regular customers now stop by each week, with many leaving messages through the shed’s Ring Doorbell camera or sharing photos of their purchases online.

“It’s such a lovely community aspect,” Abby said.

“I love seeing the same faces come back week in and week out, but also meeting new people who have found us through social media.”

Bake Me Home’s cookies are also a popular choice at the cake shed. (Image: Bake Me Home)

Balancing Bake Me Home with a demanding full-time career has presented plenty of challenges for Abby, but seeing customers return week after week and witnessing the positive impact she has reminds Abby why she started in the first place.

She said: “You get kids smiling, people sending pictures of what they’ve bought, and messages saying they can’t wait to come down at the weekend.

“Those are the moments that make all the hard work worthwhile.”

The honesty-box system has also shown the best side of Darlington’s local communities.

Customers pick up the treat they would like and post their money through a letterbox with a ‘cash’ printed on it.

Abby said: “There was always that worry that people might take advantage, but luckily I’ve not had any issues at all.

“Everyone has been honest and supportive.”

Bake Me Home also offers custom requests from time-to-time, with celebration cakes ranging from classically decorated tiered cakes, to brownie cakes and cheesecakes. (Image: Bake Me Home)

The business has grown rapidly since its first opening in April. Abby initially started baking around 150 items when she opened, but now she prepares more than 400.

As demand continues to grow, she is already looking at expanding, including adding a second shed for chilled products such as cheesecakes and milkshakes.

In the long term, she dreams of operating a converted horsebox selling coffee and cakes at events across the region.

For now, though, she remains focused on growing Bake Me Home step-by-step, and embracing the community around it.

Abby said: “It’s something that brightens other people’s days, but it brightens mine too.”

“I love doing it, I love the community around it and I have so many ideas for the future.”