Bravo For The Biscuit! - Biscuiteers Q&A

The American's have their cupcakes and the French their macaroons but there's nothing more British than a biscuit. And while cake couturiers are busy turning our ideas of what can be done with some chocolate sponge and vanilla frosting on its head with the arrival of the cakepop to these shores, one woman and her team is busy revolutionising the way we view the UK's staple elevenses treat.

Launched in late 2007, Biscuiteers is a boutique business offering what can only really be described as little edible works of art - hand baked and iced biccies in rich chocolate or sweet vanilla using only real ingredients. Catering to those looking for unusual gift ideas Biscuiteers offer a range of themed tins - covering everything from gardening with the Green Fingers collection to animal lovers with Cool for Cats - to biscuit greeting cards as well as a bespoke service to customise their delights to your every whim. Alongside this the team have also collaborated with everyone from high end designers to high street brands.

Somewhere in her busy schedule (she is also project director for the Orange Prize) Harriett Hastings found time for a little Q&A with The Tiny Atelier to let us know everything from what happens in a day of the life of a Biscuiteer to strange biscuit requests and amazing collaborations!

Tell us a little bit about Biscuiteers. What led to the idea for a boutique biscuit company?

I was helping my husband with the marketing for his catering company Lettice and spotted a gap in the market for a really creative food gift solution. Biscuits at the time were incredibly underdone but they had the potential to be a perfect gift because you can send them in the post and be as imaginative as you like with the designs. We put Stevie's catering experience and my PR and marketing skills together and Biscuiteers was born.

What's a typical day for the Biscuiteers team?

We have a huge team of artisan icerswho work in our bakery in Kennington hand baking, icing and packing up all of our biscuits. Every day they ship hundreds of orders worldwide. Up in the office we are now planning Christmas 2012, brainstorming ideas and getting into the festive mood. Day to day our office is busy with phone calls and emails from customers, corporate clients and press requests.

You've done some amazing collaborations with some big names. Any favourites?

We have been lucky enough to get some fabulous commissions, including a collaboration with Anya Hindmarch and a circus tin designed exclusively for The Conran Shop. We are always busy around fashion week, most recently working with Mulberry, Burberry and Gucci. One of my personal favourites was the Jeff Koons' 'Lobster' created for the Serpentine Gallery.

As well as your themed biscuit tins you also offer a bespoke service. What's the wackiest/funiest/strangest biscuit request you've ever had?

At Christmas we were commisioned to make a tin of company bosses. There were about ten of them and we had to copy photographs from their staff party. They worked out rather well in the end - our icers are obviously brilliant portrait artists too!

2011 has already been a big year for you with the release of your book ('Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits'). What's next for the Biscuiteers?

We have just launched the Jolly Gingers - our take on the Gingerbread man - and our new Biscuit Greeting Cards to join our existing range of Biscuit Cards. We are also very much in Royal wedding mode and gearing up for the big day - our Royal Wedding tin is very popular and proving a big talking point which is fantastic.

Long may the reign continue! Check out the full website at www.biscuiteers.com