Finalists for Online Bakery Business of the Year 2025 revealed

Sweet treats, personalisation, and gifting are common themes among the finalists battling it out for the title of Online Bakery Business of the Year at the 2025 Baking Industry Awards.

Sponsored by IRCA Group, the award celebrates businesses that sell baked goods via a direct-to-consumer website as the judges look for excellent website design, a well thought out experience, and items that have been delivered to look as good as when they left the bakery.

Here are the five finalists in the running:

Biscuiteers

Why send flowers when you can send Biscuiteers? That’s the question the hand-iced biscuit specialist asks its customers every day. Online is described as ‘the beating heart of the brand’, and sales through its website account for 55% of the firm’s total business.

Biscuiteers has invested in the user experience, rolling out an app with faster payment options and stored addresses, while the website allows users to choose multi-address shipping options and specific delivery dates. It also offers personalisation on a products, including hand-iced biscuits and chocolates. All of this is backed up by a ‘full funnel’ approach to marketing, focused on raising brand awareness, acquiring new customers, and encouraging repeat purchases from existing ones.

The “beautiful photography” and “outstanding packaging” were highlighted by the judges who also praised the functionality of the website, particularly being able to filter by types of products, recipients, or occasions, as well as the Pressie Points scheme which helped drive loyalty.

Blondies Kitchen

Artisan cookie brand Blondies Kitchen is making waves on the web where consumers can order freshly baked, personalised, and beautifully packaged products. The firm pivoted to selling online amidst the pandemic and now the platform accounts for the majority of its revenue.

It specialises in indulgent cookies with flavours including Classic Chocolate Chip, Cocoberry, Blondie, and Dark Chocolate & Sea Salt among popular options.

The bakery is aiming to ‘deliver excellence’ every single day, adding that it has designed its website to make the ordering process as seamless as possible for individual or bulk orders. Customers can select products, personalisation, and designated delivery date. What’s more, Blondies Kitchen offers next day service if the order is placed by midday.

The cookies were “delicious, indulgent, but never too sweet”, according to the judges, who praised the personalisation offered on larger cookies, and highlighted the “authentic storytelling” on the firm’s social media which allows customers to see behind the scenes.

Lottie Shaws

Lottie Shaws has been on quite a journey over the past year or so. The craft bakery business was acquired by fellow Yorkshire firm Jacksons, part of the William Jackson Food Group, last year. Since then, it has unveiled a brand refresh to reflect its ‘quality and Yorkshire heritage’, with ambitious growth plans – both of which are reflected in its online offering.

The consumer-facing website, which has recently been redesigned, accounts for around half of Lottie Shaw’s revenue. Alongside this, the team made several tweaks to the website to make it more user friendly – this included changes to the navigation, the addition of a ‘quick add to basket’ tool, and refreshed photography. The business has also invested in a trade website as well.

From here it sells a range of sweet treats, such as Yorkshire Parkin, flapjacks, biscuits, and millionaire shortbread.

The packaging felt “fresh and modern” yet still reflected the heritage and tradition that Lottie Shaw’s is steeped in, according to the judges. They also commended the website updates, particularly the photography updates which showed off the products and brand really well.

Mademoiselle Macaron

Being an exclusively online bakery has not stopped Mademoiselle Macaron from offering customers a personable shopping experience, states founder Rachel Hanretty.

The business offers a range of highly customised and bespoke macarons on its website. This offer, according to the business, has been made possible by it “investing heavily” in the functionality of the website. “We have not seen any of our competitors offer as unique a customer journey as this nor do they match our standard of online reviews,” it said.

The website functions primarily as a B2C sales platform, but Mademoiselle Macaron has also thought about its trade customers. For example, they can order 1,000 macarons at trade prices unique to them.

The website was “clean and easy” to use, making building a mixed flavour box a straightforward experience, noted the judging panel. Clear instructions were provided for personalisation, and the resultant product came out “above expectations”, also arriving in “beautifully presented packaging”.

Millie’s Cookies

Alongside 40+ stores across the UK, Millie’s operates a direct-to-consumer website which offers next-day and named day delivery of its cookies, including sharing-sized ones which can be personalised.

Ecommerce plays a ‘crucial’ role in the business’ overall strategy as it allows Millie’s Cookies to reach customers beyond its brick-and-mortar estate. In May 2024 it launched a new website with an ‘enhanced user journey’ making it ‘easier and more enjoyable’ for customers to browse, personalise, and order sweet treats. The website was also optimised for mobile and tablet users. This is aided by targeted digital marketing, social media, and email campaigns.

Millie’s website is “so easy to use” on desktop and mobile, and the personalisation service was “fantastic, as it really walked you through the process step by step”, said the judges. The products and packaging on arrival were “delightful”, and the order by 1pm for next day delivery was a “real selling point”.

Join us for a night of celebration

The winners will be revealed at a black-tie ceremony on Thursday 23 October 2025 at the Royal Lancaster Hotel in London. The ceremony will be hosted by a yet-to-be-revealed celebrity guest.

Tickets for the awards are available now via the Baking Industry Awards website. Individual tickets cost £350+VAT and a table of 10 costs £3,325+VAT.

The event includes a dazzling drinks reception, a three-course dinner with wine and coffee, and an afterparty complete with snacks and entertainment to help you celebrate into the early morning.

Get your tickets here: https://bakeryawards.co.uk/live/en/page/attend