What Equipment Do You Actually Need to Start a Cake Shed?

Aug 30

3 min read

If you're thinking about starting a Cake Shed, one of the first questions you're probably asking is:

What do I actually need to buy?

And the answer is probably less than you think.

It's very easy to fall down an Amazon rabbit hole when you're setting up a new business. Suddenly you're looking at fancy display stands, clever storage solutions and gadgets you didn't even know existed five minutes ago.

Don't.

Your first priority is getting the basics right.

Cake Shed essential equipment

Here's my starting list for a small Cake Shed:

For your cakes

Suitable food-safe packaging - e,g small cake boxes and cellophane bags
Labels and a printer
Bags for customers to carry their purchases home

For your Cake Shed

Storage for packaging and supplies
Simple cake stands, trays or baskets for displaying your products
Pricing signs

For taking payment

You need a payment method that works for your customers and your setup. That might be cash, bank transfer, card payments or a combination.

You don't necessarily need a fancy point of sale card machine - I use a cash box and a QR code provided by my bank.

For security

Depending on your setup, you might want CCTV and additional security measures.

Think about this before you open rather than after you've had your first problem.

For keeping things clean

You'll also need the appropriate cleaning equipment and products to keep your Cake Shed and equipment clean and well maintained.

What you DON'T need

This is probably more important.

You don't need to spend thousands of pounds creating the perfect Cake Shed before you've sold a single cake.

Start with what you need to operate safely, legally and practically.

Then see what your customers actually buy. You can improve your display, add storage, upgrade your equipment and make it prettier as your Cake Shed grows.

Your Cake Shed doesn't need to be perfect. It needs to sell cake.

Want the complete Cake Shed equipment list?

I've put together a Cake Shed Essential Equipment page with the products I actually recommend, including packaging, storage, display equipment, security and other useful bits and pieces.

I've deliberately included the things I think are worth buying — and the things I wouldn't waste money on.

See my Cake Shed Essential Equipment List

Some of the links on this page are affiliate links, which means I may earn a small commission if you buy through them, at no additional cost to you.

Before you buy anything, get your Cake Shed plan sorted

Equipment is only one part of setting up a Cake Shed.

You also need to think about things like what you're going to sell, pricing, food safety, allergens, payment, opening hours, customer communication and how the whole thing is going to work day to day.

My Cake Shed Starter Checklist is designed to help you work through those practical jobs so you can see what you've covered — and what you haven't.

And if you want to go beyond the checklist, I've also created my So You Want to Start a Cake Shed? workshop, where I take you through the practical reality of setting one up. Because there's a difference between having a cute shed at the end of your garden...

…and having a Cake Shed that actually works as a business.