Three new single baton biscotti are expected to go down a treat with the UK’s hotel, foodservice, hospitality and independent café sectors.

They’re the latest offerings from The Artful Baker.

The Christchurch business is described as the ‘younger, more discerning, brother’ of The Great British Biscotti Co, famed for exporting its biscotti products to the Italians.

The new 18g single baton biscotti come in Triple Choc, Sour Cherry Double Choc and a vegan/gluten-free friendly Almond & Roasted Hazelnut.

Baked in Dorset, their launch comes six months after it was announced that The Artful Baker and The Great British Biscotti Co had secured financial backing from the UK’s largest bakery brand, Warburtons.

The 145-year-old company, now in its fifth generation of family ownership, is providing a six-figure funding package.

It was the maiden investment of Warburtons’ Batch Ventures bakery innovation fund after the Bolton-based giant teamed up with Mission Ventures, co-founded by food entrepreneurs Nigel Parrott, John Stapleton and Paddy Willis.

Last year The Artful Baker and The Great British Biscotti Co baked in excess of 5m sweet and savoury biscotti.

The number is expected to triple to 15m by the end of this year as a result of the artisan operation’s seamless pivot from hospitality and foodservice to hampers, gifting and export at the height of lockdown.

Paul Rostand, Founder of The Artful Baker, pictured, said: “Whilst we’re so proud of the way we not only weathered but extended our customer reach during Covid; we’ve never lost sight of the fact that for all our hamper and Hotel Chocolat success, hotels, hospitality, food halls, airlines and the upmarket independent coffee scene are very much our spiritual homes.

“We feel duty bound to do our bit to support these under-the-cosh food sectors by showcasing biscuit offerings that reflect our ’slow food,’ artisanal snacking and no palm oil convictions.”

It was in June 2016 that Paul, then part of a three-strong team, started the Great British Biscotti Co.

Originally launched in the New Forest, the business quickly outgrew its premises, culminating in a move to its current 4,000 sq ft site on Christchurch’s Somerford Business Park within a year.