Speciality-Food-June-2025

specialityfoodmagazine.com Robert. “If your biscuit cannot deliver on taste, ethics, and premiumquality, it is not making the cut. Shoppers expect flavour that sings, packaging that impresses, and sourcing that does not come with a guilty conscience. A great biscuit should be traceable, trustworthy, and possibly the only thing stopping someone from skipping dessert.” “Quality remains absolutely essential,” agrees Daniel Smith, sales andmarketing manager at Stag Bakeries. “Given the economic climate, it’s so important that when consumers purchase fine food products, they get value for money. We have noticed in recent years that our customers have a real appetite for finding out howwe make our biscuits – the ingredients we use and where they come from, and the methods and processes we use to turn these into the final product. The hands-on craft element in what fine food producers do on a day-to-day basis is such an important asset. Ultimately though, the biggest marker of quality remains taste and flavour.” While time is undoubtedly tight for buyers, it pays to put a little extra thought into your biscuit selection these days. “Refreshing your biscuit range does not mean tossing in a new flavour and calling it a day,” Robert says. “It is about selecting with care and flair. Go for indulgent treats with eye-catching packaging and an excellent brand story. A lean, quality- driven range says, ‘we knowwhat we’re doing’, while an overcrowded shelf just says, ‘we panicked’. “I think when looking to strike the balance between reliable best-selling favourites and biscuit varieties that customers may be less familiar with, brands with an interesting origin story always help in getting consumers on board to try something new,” advises Daniel. “There are so many excellent sweet and savoury biscuits in the specialitymarket now that it can be difficult to narrow it down, but we have noticed an appetite among our customers for trying something out of the ordinary in the last year or two.” GRANDMAWILD’S EMBOSSED GARDEN RETREAT TIN A beautifully embossed barrell containing butter shortbread biscuits, fruit and lemon biscuits and double chocolate chip biscuits. grandmawilds.co.uk GOLDEN HOOVES ROSEMARY & GARLIC CRACKERS Infused with bursts of flavours from British herbs and have been made using regenerative flour and butter, making them delicious and nature friendly. goldenhooves.co.uk THE ARTFUL BAKER SOUR CHERRY & DARK CHOCOLATE BISCOTTI Tangy sour cherries meets alluring dark chocolate to create the last word in fine dunking discernment. theartfulbaker.co.uk ISLAND BAKERY CHEESE BISCUITS – HARISSA & CUMIN Sustainably made, all-butter biscuits combining Isle of Mull cheese with the gentle, warm spice of organic harissa and earthy cumin. islandbakery.scot PETER’S YARD PUMPKIN & SUNFLOWER SEED SOURDOUGH CRACKERS These snappy sourdough crackers are made with the finest ingredients and will work perfectly alongside all cheeses and dips. petersyard.com FURNISS DIPPED CRANBERRY COOKIES Fabulously crunchy oat cookie full of lusciously chewy cranberry pieces, coated in a pure velvety white chocolate. furniss-foods.co.uk FINE CHEESE CO CHIVE & EXTRA VIRGIN OLIVE OIL CRACKERS A crunchy cracker for any soft cheese. finecheese.co.uk THE EAST INDIA COMPANY CARAMEL & SEA SALT BISCUITS Release the contrasting flavours of sticky caramel and coarse sea salt as you bite into these moist and buttery biscuits. theeastindiacompany.com OLINA’S BAKEHOUSE GLUTEN FREE FIG & SUNFLOWER SEEDED TOASTS Crisp, tasty toasts absolutely packed with berries and seeds, and produced in small batches. Free from gluten. gourmetfood.com.au/uk GOOD GUYS BAKEHOUSE CHEDDAR BISCUIT MELTS Super light, melt-in-the-mouth savoury biscuits made with real Cheddar cheese, chilli powder, black pepper and spices. Only five calories each. goodguysbakehouse.co.uk STOCK CHECK 37 TRENDING IN BISCUITS At KNEAD, we’ve noticed a real evolution in how people enjoy biscuits, not just as a tea-time treat, but as an all- day indulgence or a clever way to elevate cheese boards, gift boxes, and even lunch plates. On the sweet side, it’s all about nostalgia with a twist. Classic biscuits like custard creams and bourbons are back in fashion – but not as you remember them. We bake thousands of our hand- pressed custard creams and John Hawes and Kris Biggs, co-founders of KNEAD Bakery, tell Speciality Food what’s flying off their shelves bourbons each week, made with real butter, proper cocoa, and a generous pinch of joy. Customers are craving those comforting flavours, but with a premium, handmade edge. Add in a rise in plant-based and gluten-free options, and it’s clear people want their biscuit fix – without compromise. Meanwhile, savoury biscuits have gone gourmet. Our standout? A polish bread-based savoury biscuit, developed specially for Christmas, which we bake by the thousand to accompany cheeseboards. With its deeply fermented flavour, it’s a natural partner to punchy cheddar, local brie, or even a spoonful of chutney. We’ve seen these fly off shelves over the festive season - not just as crackers, but as snacks in their own right. And across both sweet and savoury, one thing holds true: texture matters. Our customers are looking for that satisfying snap, that soft crumb, or that perfect crisp to complete the bite. Across both sweet and savoury, one thing holds true: texturematters