Sukh Chamdal, the founder of the successful vegan bakery Cake Box, which is valued at £35 million and operates over 200 franchises nationwide, is facing accusations of felling numerous

protected trees to make way for a luxury mansion.

Chamdal, 61, along with four other defendants, pleaded not guilty on June 22 at Chelmsford Magistrates' Court to the illegal felling of at least 132 trees in a woodland located at Debden Hall, Essex.

According to reports in the Telegraph, the entrepreneur is expected to appear at Chelmsford Crown Court to answer charges of breaching a tree preservation order in order to clear the area for the proposed upscale residence.

The prosecution against Chamdal is being brought by the Epping Forest District Council. If found guilty, he could face an unlimited fine and be required to replace all the felled trees.

The trees were reportedly cut down over a two-week period in March 2021 to make space for the construction of a 9,000 square foot mansion within the woodland. A Tree Preservation Order is put in place by a local planning authority in England to safeguard specific trees, groups of trees, or woodlands for amenity purposes.

Chamdal launched the egg-free bakery chain Cake Box 13 years ago with a £20,000 grant, inspired by his daughter's request for a birthday cake without eggs. The company, co-founded with his cousin Pradip Dass during the global financial crisis in 2008, has since expanded to 205 shops across Britain. All of Cake Box's products remain free of eggs, alcohol, and meat, appealing to vegetarians and individuals with dietary restrictions based on religious or ethical grounds. Photo by Stuart Axe, Wikimedia commons.