The Biskery: New Leeds biscuit bakery that is 'first of its kind in the North' to open in Chapel Allerton

The Biskery was launched in 2016 when founders Saskia Roskam and Lisa Shepherd put £1,000 of their own money into the idea. Sales of the bakery’s personalised and branded biscuits have soared in recent years and the founders hope their new Leeds bakery, located in Chapel Allerton, will allow them to create over 300,000 biscuits a year.

Lisa said: “Our ambition is to become the go-to brand for personalised biscuits in the UK and we are well on the way to this with our new Leeds bakery which gives us the capacity to create over 300,000 biscuits a year.”

The Biskery has hand-baked and decorated biscuits for the likes of the BBC, Fendi and Meta, and have invested in various types of technology including an edible ink printer. Saskia said: “We are not (just) a bakery, we don’t (just) sell biscuits, we spread kindness in biscuit form, whilst enabling working parents to create a life that fits around their children by offering the option to work school hours only.”

The team is made up of nine staff members, including the two founders, who are able to work flexibly around childcare commitments and school hours. Lisa said: “We hope to inspire other businesses to bring more female values into the world of work. We believe employees feel more invested in their work if their needs are met. For example for many mothers this often is flexibility, empathy and understanding.”

Lisa and Saskia draw recipe inspiration from their German and Dutch heritage and their signature product, the original impressed jam biscuit, is based on Lisa’s grandmother’s recipe. The Biskery claims to be the region’s only artisan manufacturer of Lebkuchen, a German biscuit traditionally eaten at Christmas time.

Hand-iced customised cookies and branded fondant and butter biscuits also feature in The Biskery’s range and the business also runs a weekly ‘Gratitudesday’ service, allowing people to nominate a friend or family member to receive a free biscuit to show appreciated they are.