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Bobby Waite
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Bobby Waite
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Bobby Waite
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Bobby Waite
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Bobby Waite
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Bobby Waite
by Bob Waite
It was 28 years ago that Riley Silbert’s parents, Craig Silbert and Karen Riley went into the biscotti business. Riley explains, “My mom started baking the product at the Doylestown Farmers Market. As people tried it, they began to ask if she could make some for a party, a wedding and a few coffee shops wanted to carry it.” At the time Craig was working for a specialty food company. Riley’s parents were both imbued with an entrepreneurial spirit, so Karen one day asked her husband, “Why are you selling other people’s specialty food? Let’s sell this specialty food.” Bucks County Biscotti was born.
Biscotti, besides being a sought-after treat, was the perfect product for Craig and Karen. When they started the business, Karen was pregnant with Riley and didn’t want to have a regular bakery schedule where she would have to wake up at 2 a.m. on Saturday. With biscotti being a twice baked cookie, she didn’t have to, because biscotti has long shelf life. She could bake it throughout the week and have it ready for the Doylestown Farmers Market. In 1995 they moved to their current home and biscotti bakery in Perkasie.
Biscotti has a long history. Pliny the Elder, a Roman writer during the first century documented that a twice baked cookie, was used by Roman legions as a staple they carried with them as they went to war. Unlike the modern version, it was not sweetened and consumed as a treat, nonetheless it was twice baked and could last long periods of time without going bad. In fact, Christopher Columbus carried a biscotti like bread on his long voyages to the New World. Riley says that almost all cultures had a version of biscotti, but it wasn’t until the Renaissance that a baker in Tuscany began making it to be dipped in sweet wine, something Italians do to this day. Eventually anise, almonds, lemons and other flavors were added to this perennial cookie. Now Americans love to eat this newer, sweetened and flavored biscotti with coffee.
Beginning with the Farmers Market, Karen and Craig expanded their reach to the wholesale market between New York City and Washington DC. Being a family business, everyone is involved, so wholesale accounts which include any business that sells Bucks County Biscotti, were hand delivered by Craig.
Riley, who has a background in marketing had worked for Citibank and then in a successful new business that a friend started which grew from three people to 16 in a short two and a half years. Riley’s parents had been making biscotti for 28 years and were ready to pass the business on to someone else, not suspecting that Riley would come home and want to take it over. Working in an entrepreneurial start-up and using his marketing skills he says, “I got the itch.”
Riley’s coming home to join the family business he grew up with corresponded to the coming of COVID 19 and all that meant for businesses throughout the country. Until then the business was 100 percent wholesale, and suddenly retailers that carried the product were closed or barely making it. Riley says, “All the wholesale business dropped off the face of the earth.” To survive the pandemic, Bucks County Biscotti had to become its own retailer and they would have to ship the product to both wholesale accounts and a new retail market. On their side was the fact that their biscotti, which by any standards is excellent, had already created a base of customers who still wanted this delightful treat.
Riley, explaining the effect of COVID says, “We had to rethink the business and redesign packaging for a retail business. We had to package smaller quantities for retail customers and grow the whole sales base because it shrunk. But since we had to change to shipping instead of hand delivery, it allowed us to sell wholesale throughout the whole country. And now we are in 35 states.”
The new national retail market was a success. “We started offering the gift boxes around the holidays and people went crazy for them. COVID caused a macro shift to online shopping, and we were riding the wave.”
Bucks County Biscotti has always had a renewable focus on green production. Beginning with utilities, Riley says, “We installed a 36-panel solar ray system attached to the roof of our barn and we put in a full geothermal system.”
Packaging is also eco-friendly. Riley explains that they use all biodegradable packaging peanuts. “When our customer receives their package, they can just drop these peanuts into a sink, run some hot water and immediately the peanuts dissolve and go down the drain.” The peanuts are made of a corn-based biodegradable product instead of Styrofoam peanuts or plastic airbags. He says, “They provide all the security and structure we need inside the packaging.”
Riley also explains, “All the gift boxes and shipping boxes we use are made of all natural, undyed craft paper. People often reuse them. We see photos online of people using them as storage and using the craft paper to make things. And besides being reusable, they are recyclable.”
Even on the production side the family has found a way to reduce waste. Biscotti, which is baked into loafs, cut and then baked again, has ends referred to by Riley as butts, noses and breakers, that are not the right size cut for the retail product, but is perfectly good biscotti. So originally Craig would put these in a bag and give them away. One time he left his key to a post office box at home and asked Debbie the postmaster to open it for him. He gave her a bag of biscotti for her kindness and someone in line behind him asked how he could get a bag for himself. This and other incidents like it led to the family setting up what they call the honor cart. This honor stand is open seven days a week 24 hours a day. Riley says, “We had grab and go before COVID made it popular.”
It was about ten years ago that Craig put a cart in front of the house near the road, so people could drive up to get a bag of biscotti. Riley says, “It’s classic Bucks County Farmers Market honor stand style. All you do is put five dollars into the money slot, grab your bag of biscotti and go.” The environmental impact is zero waste.
It must be emphasized that this is a family business. All the production, packaging and distribution is done by Karen, Craig and Riley. Riley, who loves biscotti, especially anise flavored biscotti, also loves the work. “I won’t glorify it,” he says, “It’s manual labor.” Riley does the cutting. Craig operates the chocolate machine, but Riley says it is all a team effort, especially the packaging. Riley especially loves using the special skills he brings to the business. “I love dealing with clients, the marketing and, of course, that it is a family business.
Bucks County Biscotti comes in 10 flavors, two which are seasonal. The eight year-round flavors are: Classic Anise Almond, Chocolate Dipped Classic Anise Almond, Lemon Poppy, Espresso Chocolate Chip, Coconut Dark Chocolate Chip, Cranberry Walnut, Sea-Salted Chocolate Toffee and Double Dutch Orange Chocolate. The two seasonal are: Pumpkin Pecan and Chocolate Peppermint offered in the fall and winter.
Custom Gift Boxes are offered on the Bucks County Biscotti website (www.buckscountybiscotti.com). You can get 10-, 20-, 40- and 60-piece boxes of this delicious trans fat and preservative free biscotti in the flavors of your choice. With the gift box you can get a custom handwritten card. Craig, who has very good handwriting, handwrites your note on all the cards. Gift wrapping is also offered on the website order. There are also various deals that run throughout the holidays on mugs and T-Shirts.
Bucks County Biscotti is a perfect gift for the holidays, and unlike cookies, it won’t go stale. For guaranteed delivery by Christmas, orders have to be made by December 14. To order this family made-in-Bucks County biscotti visit www.buckscountybiscotti.com.
Bob Waite is the editor of Bucks County Magazine.