Handmade treats and treasures are better than their counterparts, its a fact. There's something unique about handmade gifts that mass-manufactured 'things' can't compete with; it's a feeling, a sense of authenticity, something truly human and real.
Laurinda Di Pietro Dias knows the warm fuzzy feeling we speak of all too well, and she appreciates receiving handmade goodies just as much as she loves making them. She's the Founder and baker-extraordinaire at BY POP Cookies, and her personal touch was part of our 2019 IDENTITY runway. Our guests were treated to delicious salted butter shortbread cookies, and a few elbows went flying in the scramble not to miss out.
Laurinda hand-makes her bespoke biscuits, baking them from scratch with hand-stamped icing messages too, and it's what makes each BY POP cookie feel so special - and taste so delicious.
She's a biscuit-connoisseur, a slow fashion-lover, and an amazing female founder, so naturally, we wanted to know more about her life in the kitchen...
How did BY POP come to be? What have the first 12 months been like?
We are only just coming out of our first 12 months, which is a great time to reflect. We launched BY POP Cookies in 2017 and started small, and when I say ‘we’, it was just me!. Since then, BY POP has grown a lot, but we still pride ourselves on keeping our team small and personal. We’re a boutique brand in every sense of the word, so when you buy BY POP Cookies, that’s what you get. Wherever we can, we do things in-house, so we know what's happening at every stage. I see BY POP Cookies as the culmination of years of ideas and creativity, a love of giving special gifts, locally-made products, and a fondness of beautiful art and design. Right from the start, these passions drove the business. From them, BY POP Cookies was born and the first year of BY POP Cookies has been about learning! I'm constantly learning about how people respond to our products and what's important to our clients. Right now, we’re very excited about where the brand is heading.
Why are you so passionate about hand-made gifts?
I think the feeling you get from receiving a beautifully presented and unique gift is second to none. Someone thought about what was meaningful to you, what you’re drawn to, and found a handcrafted gift that spoke to that. That says ‘special’, and it was essential to us when we started BY POP. At BY POP Cookies, it's essential that each one is as delightful and beautiful as the next. Our gifting range comes packaged in beautiful, luxe black gift boxes, and wrapped in gorgeous sleeves designed to perfectly complement the cookies inside. Topped off with a hand-written note, they are a beautiful, heartfelt gift experience from the moment they are received. We want to make you feel special. In short, they’re personal, delicious, classy little cookies, and they're something we would be delighted to receive ourselves!
What makes BY POP Cookies so different from store-bought biscuits?
Everything! BY POP Cookies are handcrafted from start to finish in small batches to ensure quality is second-to-none. Our salted butter cookie recipe is unlike any other, because we created it, through hours, days and weeks of baking, sampling and tweaking! Once it was perfected, we then paired it with the perfect vanilla icing, and that’s where our creative passions are expressed. We strive for a business model that is environmentally conscious, sustainable, and supportive of other local businesses. All of our packaging is recyclable, and our kitchen processes are minimal-waste and give preference to reusable utensils and materials. Where possible, we source our ingredients, materials, and services from other local businesses too. For us, each cookie is a canvas for a bespoke design. Whether we’re releasing an exclusive new collection in our online gifting range or creating something beautiful for a wedding or corporate event, that custom-design aspect is our focus. We’ve perfected the flavour already, so now for each customer, we can focus on the design. It’s something we work through with each of our clients. What kind of event are we baking for? What kind of colour scheme is inspiring them? What fonts are they using in their invitations or brochures? And so on. That kind of process - you can’t buy on a shelf.
Why do you think it’s important to support locally grown small businesses?
For many reasons; professional and personal. Our providers know us, they know our requirements, and they can tailor their products and services to our needs, and given the nature of our business, often at short notice! Equally, I feel like buying local is quite literally supporting another individual, or small business, who is putting it out there and taking a risk, in the same way that I am, to build something important to them. I think we have to empower each other where we can, and this is one way that I can.
Eat the good food, drink the good wine, and enjoy the good cookies by supporting a good local business at bypopcookies.com.au.
The Fashion Advocate x
