At the tender age of 18 Ellen Pennington began writing a business plan which she hoped one day would formulate the basis of her very own café.
And now aged 26, following hours of hard work, she is set to celebrate three years as owner of The Shed Café at Henstead Arts & Crafts Centre.
Mrs Pennington said: 'My inspiration came from a young age as I loved to bake cakes with my mum and grandparents - then at 18-years-old I started my own business plan hoping to run my own café one day.
'From the ages of 18 to 22 I started making tonnes of cakes for family, visiting different cafés and working in catering establishments to widen my knowledge.
'I was then given the opportunity to set up my own little café at Henstead Arts & Crafts Centre after months of enquiring about the lease.'
After being given the keys to the building on Christmas Eve 2013, the hard work began in earnest the following Boxing Day, but with help from family, the empty unit was transformed into the café seen today.
'My quirky sense of interior design came out, and for those who have not visited, we've got everything you will find inside your garden shed in the café.
'It was a massive risk to start The Shed Café but everyone said to me I would make it a success and I worked seven days a week, every hour under the sun to make sure it worked.
'From February 1, 2014, the day I opened, to now it's been a hard working, self-motivated success. Now reaching my third anniversary, I could not be prouder.'
Offering advice to aspiring entrepreneurs, she added: 'Plan exactly what you want, organise everything to the finest detail and be motivated - if you really want something you will get it.'
The third anniversary of The Shed Café will be marked on February 1 with every customer receiving a free slice of homemade birthday cake.
For more information visit: www.theshedhenstead.co.uk.
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