Cake shed owner chased thief who stole her bakes

A baker ran down a high street, covered in flour and cake mix, to retrieve three sweet treats stolen from her honesty box cake shed.

Jade Walton runs JD Bakes in Clay Cross, Derbyshire, and asks her customers to make cash payments into a secure cash box or online payments via a displayed QR code.

But when one customer failed to pay, the mum of two gave chase and filmed the pursuit on her phone "more for my safety".

"It might just be cake, but it's the principle and standing up for ourselves," said Walton. "It's not okay, no matter what they've stolen."

Derbyshire Police said it was reviewing and pursuing lines of inquiry, including the video footage, but no arrests had been made at this time.

Walton said she started baking 12 years ago when she could not afford her own baby shower cake so made one herself.

In 2017, she started her own business from home before moving into a commercial kitchen and cake shed beside High Street in Clay Cross in January 2025.

Items were previously stolen from the cake shed in early October and July, and Walton said she was short changed by a customer once before that.

"It was really disheartening," she added. "The hours we put into the baking, people think you just put a cake into the oven and that's it, but it's not, it's the ingredients, the baking, the packaging - it really does take a lot of time," she said.

On Monday, she said she spotted a hooded man with a face covering on CCTV taking items without paying.

"Adrenaline took over and I flew out of the bakery and ran out looking on the street for them," she said, having filmed the confrontation for additional protection.

"You just never know what's going to happen. Everything's unpredictable, so it was more for my safety," she said.

The man apologised and returned the three baked goods, one which had been partially eaten.

"I was shaking. Was I smart? Was I brave? Was I stupid?" she said.

"I was just so upset and thought 'no, that's not okay. I'm not going to let someone do this to my business, and for other businesses as well, why should we put up with it?'" she added.

Walton disposed of the stolen goods and phoned the police from neighbouring cafe, Cup & Saucer, where owner Gail Hannan was in full support of her friend's actions.

"Well done to her for actually telling him. It's the principle of the thing," said Hannan.

"Yes, those cakes are no good to her, she had to bin them, but why should you just take something and have it for nothing when other people are having to buy them, which you should do," she added.

Walton said she was really pleased that Derbyshire Police had taken the crimes seriously and continued to pursue lines of inquiry.

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