^ L to R: Presenters Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey filming Inside the Factory at Image On Food Ltd

PRESS RELEASE

A Market Drayton business renowned for its creativity and craftsmanship is set to shine on national television as BBC One’s Inside the Factory Christmas Special goes behind the scenes at Image On Food Ltd – home of Original Biscuit Bakers and the historic Billington’s Gingerbread brands.

Image On Food Ltd, based in Market Drayton – famously known as the ‘home of gingerbread’ – welcomed Inside the Factory presenters Paddy McGuinness and Cherry Healey in September 2024 for an exclusive look at the fascinating process behind its much-loved hand-iced biscuits.

The festive episode follows the journey of Original Biscuit Bakers’ Christmas range, focusing on the popular Santa and Reindeer biscuit design. Viewers will see every step of the process, from the arrival of raw ingredients to the finished biscuit treats ready for dispatch across the UK. Along the way, the programme will showcase the artistry and precision that goes into creating these delights, including mixing the delicious signature dough, rolling, cutting, baking, robotic flooding and the intricate hand-icing by talented artisans that makes Original Biscuit Bakers’ creations so distinctive in quality.

^ Original Biscuit Bakers Santa gingerbread biscuit dough being cut.

^ Original Biscuit Bakers Santa post-sugar pasting stage.

^ Original Biscuit Bakers gingerbread Santa being hand-iced decorated.

Original Biscuit Bakers has been delighting customers for more than three decades with its hand-iced biscuit novelties, stocked in quality farm shops, visitor attractions and national retailers such as Waitrose and Booths. Their Christmas collection includes festive favourites such as Santa, Reindeer, Gonk, Snowman, Snowflake, Santa Man and Penguin – each biscuit lovingly crafted and decorated to bring joy to every celebration.

Although the episode focuses on Original Biscuit Bakers’ festive creations, Image On Food Ltd is also home to another Shropshire icon – Billington’s Gingerbread. Crafted in Market Drayton since 1817, this historic recipe combines secret spices, a dash of rum and golden syrup to create crisp gingerbread fingers that have been enjoyed for over 200 years. This enduring tradition sits alongside the company’s innovative hand-iced biscuits, making Image On Food Ltd a true champion of both heritage and creativity.

The business continues to go from strength to strength with production continuously ramping up. Last year alone, the factory produced an astonishing 3,686,460 gingerbreads – weighing in at 185 tonnes – across 94 hand iced designs.

^ L to R: Inside the Factory presenters Cherry Healey and Paddy McGuinness at The Fields Kitchen in Market Drayton, holding hand-iced Reindeer and Santa biscuits from Original Biscuit Bakers.

Managing Director Gemma Williams said, “We were delighted to welcome the Inside the Factory team to our factory and share the passion and craftsmanship that goes into every biscuit we make on site. Gingerbread is such an important part of our local heritage here in Market Drayton and we’re proud to keep this tradition alive while continuing to innovate and bring joy to our customers across the UK. It was a wonderful experience to meet Paddy and Cherry – they were genuinely interested in every detail and brought such energy and excitement to our factory. We hope viewers enjoy getting a sneak peek behind the scenes and seeing the care and creativity that goes into every biscuit we produce.”

The Christmas Special episode of Inside the Factory featuring Image On Food Ltd will air on BBC One on Tuesday 23^rd December at 8pm, offering viewers a unique glimpse into the world of gingerbread and hand-iced biscuits. For more information about Original Biscuit Bakers and Billington’s Gingerbread, visit: https://imageonfood.co.uk.

Ensuring Rigorous Food Safety Standards

Danni begins her day by adhering to stringent food safety and hygiene protocols, which are paramount in our production process. She dons two hairnets to prevent any hair from falling into the food, sanitises her hands thoroughly and selects her overalls to prevent any contamination. Heading to the hand washroom, she rigorously washes her hands following a detailed process. This is followed by sanitising her hands once more before entering the production area. These steps ensure that every biscuit is made in a clean and safe environment, reflecting our commitment to quality and safety.

The Sugar Pasting Area

Next, Danni takes us to the sugar pasting area. Here, she demonstrates how the hopper is fed and how the stamping machine rolls and cuts out the various icing designs. The sugar paste is then carefully placed onto either sugar cookies or gingerbread biscuits based on the design as it heads through the production process. This area is a hive of activity, with precision and attention to detail being key to producing beautifully decorated biscuits.

Hand Decorating Biscuits

After collecting her required coloured icing, Danni proceeds to hand decorate the biscuits. In this instance, she meticulously ices an ‘Alan Avocado’ following the provided design image. Once finished, the trays of biscuits are placed on racks and head to the drying room where they can take up to two days to set prior to undergoing flow-wrapping. This careful hand decoration process ensures each biscuit is unique and crafted with care.

Utilising Robot Technology

Some of the biscuits utilise robot technology, operated by trained Robot Operatives. Danni explains how operatives feed trays of biscuits into the robot, which then cleverly floods the biscuits with the icing design. This technology supports efficiencies and allows for consistent and proficient decoration, complementing the hand-decorated biscuits.

Skills Beneficial to the Role

The video catches up with Danni and her colleagues, Tracey and Ethan, who discuss the skills beneficial to the role. They highlight that experience in baking and decorating is advantageous but not essential. A willingness to learn and undergo training is most important requirement. Time management and organisation skills are crucial, the role can be fast-paced role at times with operatives expected to fulfil targets. Teamwork and good communication skills are also vital, as being able to assist colleagues is key.

Enjoying the Role and Company Culture

When asked what they enjoy about the role and the company, the operatives share that everyone is super friendly, and there’s a real team atmosphere. They enjoy working on different designs, ensuring the days are interesting and varied. The camaraderie with colleagues and the family feel of the business, where everyone looks out for each other, are also highlighted as positives. We are proud of the workplace culture we have developed, and this is evident through the comments by our staff. The supportive environment and the opportunity to progress make our company a great place to work.

Join Our Team

We are always eager to welcome new faces. If you are interested in joining our company, are passionate about biscuits and share our values of Quality, Excellence, Respect, Adaptability, Passion, Belief and Empowerment – we want to hear from you!

Please contact HR by email: HR@imageonfood.co.uk or take a look at our current vacancies on Indeed.