One of the biggest challenges ambitious food entrepreneurs face is scaling their business. In most cases, doing so successfully is all about having the right production space and volume capability to support the growth. In the case of slice-and-bake biscuit company Cookie Dó, which started life during the pandemic, the investment required to position the company for expansion has been in the region of €165,000 with a big chunk of the money spent on equipment to streamline production and packaging.
Working out the recipes for the Cookie Dó range was the easy part for the Fitzpatrick family who have passed baking secrets and skills down from generation to generation and, at different times, have made a living from supplying the wholesale and retail trade with baked goods.
“Once the pandemic hit, a lot of time and attention went into baking at home and, after perfecting our recipe, we applied some of our experience in the food industry to make the whole baking experience as convenient as possible for the consumer,” says Ciarán Fitzpatrick, who cofounded the business with his mum, Barbara.
“We wanted to share our passion for baking and to spread the joy and connection that comes from making sweet treats together. A roll of Cookie Dó gives you perfectly consistent cookies every time – simply slice, bake and you’re done.
“Home baking takes time, effort and skill and some products on the market attempt to solve this by eliminating a couple of the required steps to produce freshly baked goods. In most cases, however, these products compromise on quality and often still require more time and effort than some consumers are willing to give. With our uniquely formulated recipe, we have eliminated almost all of the time, effort and skill required, and the result is a great tasting cookie that bakes consistently, regardless of what oven someone is using.”
Fitzpatrick comes from a structural engineering background and has brought this specialist expertise to bear when sourcing equipment to produce and package the product efficiently, sustainably and in volume.
“Basically, we are as automated as possible and have developed a unique production method that allows us to use about half the amount of ingredients and packaging of other products and charge half the price,” he says.
“We only use top-quality ingredients, such as 100 per cent Irish butter, and the products have no preservatives or additives.
“Customers can order online choosing one of our classic flavours or they can customise the dough by selecting a base flavour such as vanilla or chocolate and adding their choice of fillings such as Oreo pieces or marshmallows and toppings including rainbow sprinkles and honeycomb crunch. We’ve found this option to be very popular as a gift.”
Cookie Dó now employs five people at its production facility in Tallaght and, having been chosen for Grow with Aldi, the company’s products are available in its stores nationwide. “Our fans come from so many different demographics,” says Fitzpatrick, who has his sights set on expansion into the UK market and beyond.
“Everyone from the primary household shopper to teenagers and students heading, to a friend’s house for movie night are using Cookie Dó.”
Cookie Dó has been helped to get off the ground with support from South Dublin LEO and Bord Bia and it is now on a big marketing push to make the brand a household name.
“We’ve been attending big events such as Bloom and Taste of Dublin because there is an educational piece to be done with consumers – mainly around how easy the product is to use – and interacting with the public is the best way to do this,” says Fitzpatrick who adds that these events quickly become a family affair with everyone chipping in to make it all run smoothly.
