The story behind The Burton birthday biscuit
70 years of inspiring creativity
The Burton’s birthday biscuits were baked and decorated by Bideford’s ‘Biscuit Fairy’. Helen The Biscuit Fairy has a thriving biscuit-making business, supplying brides’ wedding favours, bespoke business thank yous, and even TV shows.
She tells us how it all began:
Originally Helen was given a Peggy Porschen cake book. The cakes inside “seemed like works of art but beyond my capabilities, but then I came across an iced biscuit section. I knew immediately that they were for me – being creative and eating biscuits are two of my favourite things!”
She tells us how disappointed she was with her first attempts, but in her determination, she took herself to the Peggy Porschen Academy in London to properly learn the craft. She subsequently trained with The Biscuiteers who run ‘Icing Cafes’. Helen’s royal icing recipes and piping techniques came on in leaps and bounds after that.
Helen began making biscuits as gifts for family and friends, who then started to ask her to make themed biscuits, mainly for children’s birthday parties. “My niece told me she thought I could be a Biscuit Fairy, then a couple of days later a friend messaged asking if the Biscuit Fairy was free for her son’s birthday party. I took it as a sign and so the name was chosen!”
After some encouragement, Helen booked a stall at a Christmas Fayre, and her success here convinced her to expand and set up a business. Through Facebook, she soon began receiving orders for bespoke gifts. After attending a few more fayres and fetes, a chance conversation led her to supplying gingerbread characters for Harts.
Then came a big break. Steven & Laurent Hairdressers had been purchasing the biscuits from Harts to accompany their lunch order, and they wanted to supply all their clients with their own unique biscuit. “This has been an ongoing relationship and I’ve created a number of special designs for them along with the original scissors that appear in their logo.” This then led to several brides asking for biscuits as wedding favours, and so the business grew. “My biggest order was 1000 biscuits for Devon & Cornwall Police. I have also made biscuits for a PR company and for some TV shows, the most well-known being ‘Call The Midwife’. They were for the 10th Anniversary and Graham Norton mentioned my biscuit on his radio show!”
“I’m now an independent working Mum who can only fit in creating biscuits in the evenings. I still love turning people’s ideas into biscuits but have to limit the commissions I take on, wanting to prioritise time with my daughter.”
“The dream would be to one day work full-time as The Biscuit Fairy!”
We love what The Biscuit Fairy has made for us, and hope that you will too.
Helen’s biscuits are available in The Burton shop for a suggested donation price of £2.00
