Biscuit boutique Biscuiteers share northern expansion and plans for icing cafe

Designer biscuit company Biscuiteers, known for its quirky iced treats, is expanding into the north. The company is the brainchild of London entrepreneur Harriet Hastings, who first launched Biscuiteers in 2007 after spotting a gap in the market for luxury food gifting.

Since then it has become a hugely popular brand for its shaped biscuits, gingerbread men and assorted tin collections that can be ordered online and delivered in their signature black and white packaging.

In London they also have a physical presence with boutiques and icing cafes, where groups and parties can book to learn how to ice their own biscuits.

READ MORE: All the new restaurants, cafes and bars opening in Manchester in November

Now, company founder Harriet has revealed the business has secured its first north west suppliers of Biscuiteers biscuits. She is also actively looking for a first physical store and icing cafe in either Manchester or Cheshire.

The brand can now be found at Cheshire's famous Hollies Farm Shops in Little Budworth, Lower Stretton and Tarporley. And from the new year the bisucits will also be available in Booths supermarkets across the north.

Harriet says: "We are going into The Hollies Farm shop for the first time and Booths in the new year - we are very keen to increase our footprint across the north west.

"In London we have two icing cafes, in Notting Hill and Belgravia where you can have a full two hour lesson icing biscuits, it's a really popular thing to do.

"So we are now actively looking to have a physical space like the biscuit boutiques and icing cafes in Manchester. One of the best ways to build a brand is to have a physical space, it really changed the perception of Biscuiteers.

"My personal belief is to really get that kind of brand awareness in the north is to get a bricks and mortar shop."

Harriet spoke to the MEN at a special icing event held at the AGA store in Knutsford, where she said she had also been actively looking at areas where a Biscuiteers cafe could potentially go. She said she was considering options across Cheshire and Manchester, with the idea of a pop-up store to test run the concept first.

Harriet founded the business alongside her husband in 2007, with the idea of creating beautiful biscuits that would offer an alternative gift to sending flowers. The business hit the ground running - catching the eye of the fashion scene, with a host of designer collaborations following.

Biscuiteers' staff now hand ice some 3million biscuits every year from their "Ministry of Biscuits" factory space in London.

Harriet says: "We were the first to market with this concept and had a massive impact. Within three months we were in our own bakery.

"The fashion industry really got on board with what we were doing and my first collection was with Anya Hindmarch, and from there we did things for Mulberry, Burberry and Dior.

"But what we’re about is a gifting business. We sell online for occasions, whether that be Diwali, Thanksgiving, Christmas, birthdays, anniversaries and more.

"We say we're the Net-a-Porter of biscuits and we are very proud of our designs, we launch new collections seasonally."