Island Bakery

Organic indulgence from the Hebrides. Island Bakery didn’t begin with biscuits, but bread. Founded by Joe and Dawn Reade in 1994, who were fresh graduates from the University of Edinburgh, the pair began baking bread in a converted garage after their local baker retired. In the beginning, their goal was to simply keep the island supplied with fresh loaves. In 1996, the pair purchased a shop on Tobermory’s colourful main street, transforming it into the Island Bakery Delicatessen. Here, they stocked a wide selection of specialty foods which revealed a gap in the market for organic biscuits.

By 2001, the couple had launched Island Bakery Organics biscuits, starting with just four flavour varieties. Early customers included Harvey Nichols and Selfridges with the brand soon winning multiple Great Taste Awards and an Organic Food Award. The brand began to fully focus on biscuits by 2007 as demand grew, and the pair sold their deli to solely concentrate on biscuits. In 2012, they built an eco-powered bakery where the electricity comes from a hydroelectric turbine and wind turbine. Today, Island Bakery is best known for their biscuit range including lemon melts, chocolate gingers, shortbread and oat crumbles.