A Newham baker is fighting to save her business after the council threatened to shut it down.
Fatima Yusuf has run The Bakeress with her mother from their home in Forest Gate for more than 15 years. The business allowed her to work from home while caring for her father after he was diagnosed with motor neurone disease.
She told the Newham Citizen: “Over the years, we just established a good clientele and made this little cake business.”
However, the council is now threatening to shut down Yusuf’s business after a neighbour complained of noise pollution.
The business owner says she has always run the business legally with the council’s full knowledge - it even has a five-star hygiene rating - and said other neighbours had assured her they had never had reason to complain of excessive noise.
“We’re very peaceful people,” Yusuf - who has lived in the house for 35 years - added. “My mum and I live on our own, and predominantly, this house is our home. Our home kitchen is our business kitchen.”
She said the council also claimed she needed planning permission to run the business. However, she told the Citizen she had looked into the planning laws surrounding home businesses and did not believe she fell foul of them - nor could she understand why this had become an issue after more than a decade.
Earlier this year, Yusuf received a letter from the council warning her of an upcoming inspection of her business.
She claimed inspectors looked over the entire property, including bedrooms and private bathrooms. “I wasn’t sure what kind of inspection this was, because I wasn’t told,” she added.
“The enforcement officer said, ‘I’m going to be honest, you don’t stand any chance of keeping your business running.’”
She continued: “For someone that’s a taxpayer, who’s kept things legal, I don’t understand why you would do this. A company that’s legal and so established, you’re literally trampling this business down. Newham Council has more important things to be doing.”
The Bakeress isn’t just a business to Yusuf. In 2022, her father died and the bakery became a vital emotional outlet for both her and her mum. “We were grieving as it is for my dad [when this happened],” she said.
Speaking of the business, she added: “It pays all the bills, it’s a modest income but it’s sufficient for us,” she added. “And it’s my only income.
“Me and mum live on our own, we work hard and we don’t disturb any neighbours. We have had so much support from our neighbours who have said, ‘We’ve never heard disturbance, we’ve never heard sound or seen too many cars about.’
“If you’re shutting us down, what hope do smaller, start-up businesses have?”
Yusuf and her mother are now appealing an enforcement notice by the council, a process which could take up to four months. She said that with her business so established, she doesn’t have a ‘back-up’ if The Bakeress is shut down.
She also said the legal fees were costing her thousands of pounds. “I don’t want to give up this fight, it’s my livelihood,” she added.
A resident has now started a petition to save the business, which had garnered more than 5,700 signatures at the time of writing.
“What began as a few trays of cakes for neighbours evolved into a warm, empowering space where women found confidence, friendship, and purpose,” the petition reads.
“For Fatima’s family, the project became their only source of income. For many local women, it became a source of dignity, stability, and community connection.”
One customer wrote: “I've been going to the Bakeress for literally every celebration you can think of. From birthdays to hen dos to Mehndis to just simply craving her red velvet cake!
“[Yusuf is] always willing to help and take last-minute orders which we often end up having! It's so sad to hear the council targeting someone who gives back so much to the community simply by earning an honest living by doing what she does and loves best.”
Another added: “For many years, Fatima has been a cherished part of our community, not just as an exceptional home baker, but as a warm, generous, and uplifting presence in all our lives. Her cakes have been a staple at our celebrations, milestones, and family gatherings, and her kindness has touched just as many people as her delicious bakes.
“Fatima’s business is small, honest, and built on hard work, passion, and genuine community connection. We stand together to ensure that her doors and her oven remain open.”
A Newham Council spokesperson said: “Our enforcement team learned that a home was being used as a commercial premises, without the required planning permission.
“The council has a legal duty to investigate any suspected changes of use under national planning legislation, and to enforce that legislation if a breach is found to have taken place.
“As is standard for such an investigation, the entire house was inspected. The owner was issued with an enforcement notice which includes details on how to appeal (including the option that planning permission ought to be granted for the change of use.)
“As the appeal has been lodged it is now with the Planning Inspectorate so we cannot comment further."
