Festive treat for Image on Food with starring role on BBC’s Inside the Factory

A major focus is set to be bestowed on a British business renowned for its creativity, featuring on the BBC One’s Inside the Factory Christmas Special goes behind the scenes at Image On Food Ltd, writes Neill Barston.

The Market Drayton firm, which is home of the original Biscuit Bakers and the historic Billington’s Gingerbread brands, welcomed Inside the Factory presenters Paddy McGuinness of BBC Radio 2 and Phoenix Nights screen series fame,  and Cherry Healey for an exclusive look at the fascinating process behind its much-loved hand-iced biscuits.

There’s no doubting the enthusiasm of this Shropshire company, as it goes into overdrive for the festive season. According to its records, last year it produced a whopping  3,686,460 gingerbreads – weighing in at 185 tonnes – across 94 hand iced designs.

As previously reported by Confectionery Production, the Inside the Factory series has played a notable role in shedding light on operations of some of the UK’s most well-known food manufacturing operations, including within the confectionery, bakery and snacks sectors.

Moreover, the BBC’s festive episode, which airs on December 23 in the UK, 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 Britain.

As the business explained, 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 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 has been 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.

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.”