Cake and sandwich shop opens in memory of teen son

A cake and sandwich shop set up in memory of a teenager who died alongside three friends in a crash has opened in Shropshire.

Harvey Owen, 17, from Shrewsbury, died when the group's car left a rural road near Garreg, Gwynedd, in 2023, while they were on a camping trip.

His mother Crystal, who has been making cakes for about 16 years, has opened Shine on Bakery in Shrewsbury with the hope of raising money to go into a charity set up to get young people access to art and cookery.

She said the support the shop had received from customers was "overwhelming" and there had already been people queuing outside.

Crystal Owen, who also runs a cupcake business in Sweetlake, said the new Shrewsbury town centre shop was a smaller, takeaway version of what they offered there.

"We're absolutely blown away [by the support]," she said.

"The customers have been so lovely... we've had cards and flowers. It's been really overwhelming."

She offers a "pay it forward" scheme for customers to buy a coffee or cake for whoever may need it, as her son would often buy food for homeless people in the town.

"That's something we've put in place in memory of my son Harvey," she added.

"Whenever we came to town, he always wanted to buy the homeless a Greggs or something - anything he could afford he'd go and buy for them.

"So anybody that's in need can call by and we've got a pay it forward scheme.

"So a customer could buy a coffee or a cake for whoever needs that and there's no questions asked, they can just take a Post It off the board and they can get a free whatever it says on that ticket."

Speaking in December about setting the shop up, Crystal Owen said once the bakery became profitable, funds would go towards a charity called Shine on with Harvey.

It will give disadvantaged young people to access music and creative activities, helping them build skills and confidence, she said.

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