BEHIND THE CRAFT
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When East Meets West

Making Remarkable Connections has shaped The East India Company, transforming the world with fusion of cultures, materials and skills.

We remember and celebrate these not only in our choice of ingredients but also in our design work that transports through storytelling.

Enjoy one of our biscuits and cast your eye on the carton. You’ll see a shape that instantly takes you to India, the Taj Mahal of Agra. India and The East India Company’s history, inextricably linked.

Underneath, a beautiful Arts & Craft pattern. William Morris, the celebrated designer of this movement adored the colourful, artisan textiles of India. His designs are considered quintessentially British, but in fact he was enormously influenced by the patterns and colours of the Kashmir shawls, silks, indigo-dyed cottons and garments of South Asia.

We bring together east and west in celebration. Enjoy your biscuit!

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Seville Orange Marmalade Biscuits

Net Weight: 150g

These carefully crafted artisan all-butter biscuits are made with The East India Company's own succulent Seville orange marmalade, zesty citrus peel and a dash of sea salt. Savour the sweet and tangy flavours.

The East India Company - Lifestyle

Biscuits

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£8.00
Marmalade on toast may well seem ordinary.

But behind it lies the tale of an exchange, a fusion of cultures, tastes and the finer things in life.

A breakfast tradition, marmalade dates back to Tudor times when it was a paste-like preserve made of quinces, brought to Britain by the Portuguese – word being derived from ‘marmelo’ or quince paste.

Marmalade consumption took off in Britain in the early 19th century, after the Keillers in Dundee salvaged a whole cargo of Seville oranges from a Spanish ship taking refuge in a storm. They converted it into a tangy preserve and so established the ‘modern’ marmalade industry.
Foods that could last the long voyages of the maritime traders were critical and marmalade was a 'preserve' that not only added variety to the on-board diet of the officers, but also allowed them a taste of home once in India, during the many years of The East India Company's presence.

So whilst India introduced them to sublimely soft paisley shawls and the somewhat punchier tradition of punch, it was deliciously bitter marmalade that the British brought to India for a taste of home that become loved by the local population. It’s still enjoyed today, from London all the way to Bombay.

Ingredients

Wheat Flour, Salted Butter (24%) (Milk), Sugar, Orange Marmalade (8%) (Sugar, Oranges (30%), Gelling Agent: Pectin; Citric Acid), Rolled Oats, Mixed Peel (6%) (Orange & Lemon, Glucose Syrup, Sugar, Preservatives: Potassium Sorbate, Sulphur Dioxide; Acidity Regulator: Citric Acid), Raising Agents: Sodium Bicarbonate, Disodium Diphosphate, Ammonium Bicarbonate; Milk Powder, Natural Orange Flavouring, Salt


Allergens

Manufactured in a bakery that handles nuts & sesame seeds. Contains wheat, oats, milk, gluten, sulphur dioxide and dairy products.

Nutrition

Typical values 100g – Energy 2082kj/560kcal • Fat 24.9g, of which saturates 17.3g • Carbohydrate 63.4g, of which sugars 27.5g • Protein 5g • Salt 0.189g


Storage

Store cool and dry. Avoid sunlight and strong odours.

Stories

The Biscuit - from Hardtack to Sea Salt & Caramel

Today, there is a biscuit for every occasion, and it is one of the most popular sweet snacks in the world. But biscuits had a vital role in the life of the seafaring adventurers, including the men of The East India Company, in the 17th and 18th century.

Biscuits date back much further and like much else, it was the Romans who created the ‘panis bicoctus,’ or bread twice baked, to create a food that could be stored. Richard the Lionheart took stores of ‘biskits’ on his crusade ships and in the Armada battle of 1588, each sailor had biscuits included within their diet.

It was Samuel Pepys, famous diarist but also naval administrator, who introduced victualising, the planning and rationing of food supplies at sea. Rations included "1 lb daily of good, clean, sweet, sound, well-baked and well-conditioned wheaten biscuit (plus a gallon of beer!)". Ships of The East India Company routinely received 8 months rations for their long voyages.
The ship’s biscuit was also known as hardtack, a very hard-baked substance made of wheat flour, salt and water which would survive long journeys - inedible without softening in stew or brien - the original ‘dunk’ perhaps?

We celebrate the heritage of the humble biscuit, a truly critical ingredient in the success of The East India Company. Pepys’ description as ‘sweet, sound and well-baked’ still sounds relevant today, but our artisans in British and French bakeries now elevate that to a fine art using wonderful new ingredients, like our Seville Orange Marmalade or Caramel and Sea Salt Biscuits.

Our spirit delivers no ordinary products

  • FAQ

    How long will the biscuits last once opened?
    Once opened, they should be stored in an airtight container and consumed within 30 days.

    Where are your sweet biscuits made?
    Our sweet artisan biscuits are made in the United Kingdom.

  • Delivery & Returns

    UK Standard Delivery: £3.95
    UK Next Day Delivery (mainland UK only): £9.95 (Order before 12pm)
    International Delivery is available, please see our delivery page for details. For more information and Terms & Conditions, please see our Delivery page.

  • Reviews

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