West Sussex café creates huge treat cabinet that you can buy from even when it's closed!

Presh-Eat, in Middle Road, opened an honesty treat hut in April, meaning customers could buy its popular cakes out-of-hours, from Friday night to Sunday.

And owner Kerrie Pelling said it’s been so popular that she has now expanded it to sell ready meals and pick n’ mix sweets.

Kerrie, who opened the café with her mum in January, 2023, said: “I have young kids, and while we used to open on Saturday’s, I found it too much as I want to spend time with my family.

"I’d seen people doing honesty treat huts on Instagram, and I thought it was something I could do. My husband built me some cabinets, one if full of cakes, one ready meals and the other sweets.

"There are no staff serving customers, people simply choose what they want and pay themselves by QR code.

"People use it all weekend, it’s got massive. It’s become a real thing in the community, and people message me with requests.

“My customers love it, they always wave to me on the camera and talk to me on the camera. The pressure is on me to bake enough to fill it, but it’s totally worth it for the reaction I get.

“Loads of people have never seen anything like this, and they’re amazed when they realise what it is.”

Kerrie said the most popular items are her brownies and cookie pies, plus traditional puddings like bread pudding, banoffee pie and custard and sponges.

The café also has what Kerrie describes as a ‘secret garden’ – a huge outdoor space accessed from the walkway to the side of the café and through a gate.

It features under-cover seating, a children’s play area with loads of toys and books, and will soon have outdoor heaters so it can be used all-year-round.

Kerrie used to work in events at hotels across Sussex including The Grand and the East Sussex National. As such, she puts on lots of events at Presh-Eat, including weekly Wotamess messy play sessions, sessions with RepTylers mobile zoo and a new Mummy and Me weekly event for mums and babies.

Kerrie said: “It’s lovely to see the space full and families enjoying it. Organising events that bring the community together is what I love, and I want to do more of it.

“We’re hosting a wreath-making event nearer Christmas and I’m hoping to do a Presh-Eat Christmas fair.

"When people become customers, they always come back, it’s just getting people to know we’re here.

“Once I get my people here I know they’ll come back. The food is good and it’s reasonably priced.”

Kerrie has just rebranded her menu, which includes a wide range of hot and cold food, and hopes to get another member of staff in to help her as the business expands.

She also has an alcohol license, so can serve drinks at all her events.

For more information, see https://www.presh-eat.co.uk/