Owned by kind-hearted Allie Thomas, Cradoc’s bakery lies in the foothills of the Brecon Beacons where Allie has been making savoury biscuits with a variety of unique flavours for 14 years. We're most excited to try their Lemongrass, Coconut and Chilli, and the Pear and Earl Grey crackers, along with their more classic flavours such as Leek and Caerphilly Cheese and Cheddar and Onion Chutney. The biscuits are made in Wales, sourcing as many of their ingredients as they can in Brecon, and the beautiful graphic packaging design in Cardiff.
If you are a cheese lover, be sure to pair these crackers with a fine Welsh cheese that will step up to the level of quality and love that Cradocs put into their savoury biscuits. Cradocs say ‘there is singing and dancing, laughter and love baked into every snap!’ Where the bakers at Cradocs pour positivity into each and every bake, they leave out palm oil, eggs and nuts, and bar their Pear and Earl Grey and Lemongrass, Coconut and Chilli Crackers, they bake sugar free! Their beautiful flavour comes from the fresh vegetables they pack into every bake.
Cradocs told us about their business struggles throughout lockdown.
‘We started to get orders online. We had furloughed all our staff, so Ella and I rolled up our sleeves and got to work on the mixing and rolling, with Peter packing biscuits at night, it was just like old times!
‘The orders for Cradocs crackers started to climb in volume, so by April, we called the girls back in and we were working normally, with all of the Covid PPE and regimen in place. Cradocs is a micro business, with few resources, and we were scared. We started weekly meetings to talk about how we felt, and ultimately supported each other through the fear. We decided to get on with it and, with care, do what we do best, bake biscuits.’
Now Cradocs is ramping up for Christmas 2021. There are high expectations for Christmas this year after spending last year’s Christmas in lockdown, and may be for many, the first time they’ve seen friends and family since this all began. Cradocs will be baking consistently until the big day, working very hard to fulfil retail and wholesale orders. Cradocs ask just one favour from you in return:
‘In the run up to Christmas, remember all of the fantastic little businesses you met at festivals, the delicious samples they gave you, without a blink of an eye. The fun you had gathering your favourites in a cloth bag and the pleasure you had when you shared your choice with friends.’
Many food and drink businesses need your support to rebuild and begin again to create their products. You could support them by buying a pot of home-made jam, a cheese made from milk from cows grazing in Carmarthenshire, or cider with apples pressed just down the road. They are all online - You feel good when you share little pleasures, please make sure those little pleasures come from a local producer.’
Order online from Cradocs ready for Christmas at https://cradocssavourybiscuits.co.uk/ or give them a call on 01874 938453
