If your social media is anything like mine, it’s probably awash with CCTV and doorbell footage being posted by angry home and business owners calling out thieves.

Yet I’ve also noticed a “quirky” trend online of small businesses, such as cake sheds and flower stalls, adopting an “honesty box” system where consumers leave cash at unattended sites for goods. But can everyone be trusted? Senior reporter Alex Langridge finds out.

Honesty boxes are not a new concept and can be traced back to as early as the 19th century as a way to pay for tobacco when a cashier was not available.

Since then, they have evolved to be used for various products like roadside egg stands and car parking.

They returned to popularity during Covid as purchases could be made without making contact with another person and thus limiting the spread of the virus.

But with crime figures showing spikes in shoplifting and a cursory glance of Facebook suggesting thieves are now more brazen than ever, can honesty boxes really work in this day and age?

Baker Catherine Hancock says they do. She opened Olive’s Cake Shed outside her house in Newports, Crockenhill, in April after coming across the idea online.

The mum-of-two said: “The village has not had fresh cakes since the bakers closed. The community said it was a shame, so I thought there must be a way to link this with my cake design business.

“I did not have the time and money to open a shop, so I thought about how I could keep the cost down for my customers and me.

“I stumbled across this idea, and I thought I could do it. It is quirky, like me, and it has been going viral online.

“I put it out there, and the community has welcomed it.”

The 47-year-old stocks the cake shed with her baked goods like lemon cake, millionaire’s crispy stacks, and Victoria sponge loaves, which are individually labelled and priced.

There is a calculator inside for customers to use to work out their total, and instructions asking them to either scan a QR code to pay online or post an envelope with cash through the front door.

It is quirky, like me, and it has been going viral online

So far, Catherine said the only incident she has had was someone not paying enough for the cakes they bought, but after she posted it on her Facebook page, the person apologised and sent the difference.

The former hair and makeup artist for TV and films said: “It has been positive. I stand by most people are good and honest.

“For the moment, it is working more than any alternative. It has blown me away. We have a great community here, and they want to support it.”

Fellow baking entrepreneur Aimee Ball agreed.

She started her business, Bake Me Happy, last year, but decided to open a cake shed in April after also seeing the trend online.

The 37-year-old uses a similar honesty system to Catherine, asking people to pay online via bank transfer or place cash into a locked money box.

She said: “I was umming and erring whether to open the cake shed as it is hard to put your trust in strangers, but I decided to do it.

“It has been going really well. I have not had one single theft.

“It is the best thing I have ever done for my business, and I wish I had done it sooner. It has gone completely crazy.”

Despite putting her trust in people, Aimee, who lives in the Thistle Hill area of Minster, on Sheppey, has still put up CCTV and a doorbell camera near the shed in case it is targeted.

The mum-of-four added: “The shed is right outside my house, so you would have to be quite brazen.

“When it is open, I am at home, so I do go out every now and then to keep an eye on the shed and stock.

“It is hard because you do not want to think there are bad people out there, but everyone has been really honest, and sometimes people are even leaving more than they need to.”

KentOnline has previously reported on the persistent issues small businesses face with stealing and vandalism on Sheppey and in nearby Sittingbourne.

Yet, shoplifting across Kent has seen a sharp rise from April 2024 to March 2025 against a background of crime going down, according to new figures.

The Making Kent Safer report showed a year-on-year spike (+11.2%) of shoplifting, with the number of reports increasing by 55.1% over four years.

It is partly being driven by organised crime gangs and streamlined reporting of offences.

However, Julie Hunter said she has not had any issues with thieves or vandals targeting her flower shop in The Street, Bapchild, near Sittingbourne.

She explained she wanted to use an honesty payment system so people did not feel obligated to buy anything, as she believes sometimes customers feel pressured if someone is standing behind a stall.

Julie, who used to run a home help service for the elderly, added: “I have had no problems with it. It is the same concept as the stalls you usually see in the countryside.

“I might have a few incidents, but at the end of the day, it is not a terribly high-value product, and I have to trust people will do the right thing.

“If they do not, oh well. I am just going to take it on the chin, but the feedback I have had from people has been really good.”

The 60-year-old first opened Garden Gate Flowers in her back garden last year, selling bouquets ranging from £5 to £10 from the plants which grow on her land.

However, this year she has moved the stall to the front of her house in the hopes of reaching more customers.

She added: “There are not many things for the community anymore. It is nice to have something that is really local and on people’s doorsteps. It is a bit of fun.

“It is there for people to use. They can come and look, and there is no pressure to buy anything.”

Typically, honesty boxes are associated with countryside businesses like Ridley Court Farm, near New Ash Green, which has run Ridley’s Little Hut since 2020, selling the likes of raw milk, yoghurt, cheese and butter.

Dairy farmer Beth Mellish said her family started the shop during the pandemic when they hit a lull in corporate sales and were throwing their produce away.

They decided to start selling it locally using an honesty system to help keep the costs down, as no one needed to be paid to man it.

Beth said: “Most people are very, very honest, and 99% are very good and trustworthy.

“We have cameras in case it happens. We did have one person who took £30 worth of items, but he is the only person who has come in and taken something.

“We get a lot of young people who come in too, and we have no problems.”

Manager of retail at Morghew Park Estate, in Tenterden, Sam Hedges, said the farm has been running an honesty stall for more than 20 years, selling firewood, logs, potatoes and charcoal.

She said: “Generally, 99% of people are honest and pay for what they take. There are always going to be the odd people because of the setup. It runs on trust.

“We have never noticed a massive problem with that. Generally, we find it works nicely, and people do not take advantage.

“Everyone knows that if people did do that, it would no longer be here, as we would have to stop it.”

The firm prices everything up and leaves envelopes for people to put their cash in and post through the adjoining office door.

Sam added: “I think people like it because they can come after work when most places are closed, as they can come anytime in the evening.

“There are no time restraints, and I think that plays a big role. I think people like the accessibility.”