What started with a simple biscuit recipe and a big idea has grown into an inspiring success story right in the centre of Forbes. Back in 1976, a small biscuit business was established in regional NSW with a clear mission: to create meaningful employment opportunities for people with disability. Armed with a cherished jam drop recipe donated by Forbes local Noelene Hudson, the team set to work baking biscuits and building futures. From those humble beginnings, Aussie Biscuits has grown far beyond the 600 hand-made jam drops produced each day in its early years. Today, from its new Rankin Street home, the business can bake up to 60,000 biscuits a day, supplying customers right across Australia while continuing to create local jobs and opportunities. Every day the teams carefully prepare, bake and package six delicious biscuit varieties for the retail market, hospitality industry and fundraising groups. Alongside the original and much-loved jam drop, favourites include chocolate chip, ginger crunch, classic ANZAC, macca-nut crunch and shortbread. The day starts early at the factory, with dough prepared fresh each morning before the baking teams arrive ready for another busy day. The biscuits are shaped up before trays head into the ovens - each able to hold 1440 biscuits - and emerge golden and ready for packaging. The packets of goodness are boxed up and placed on pallets because Aussie Biscuits do go everywhere - you'll find them in hotels, motels, airlines and tea rooms all over Australia. At the centre of the operation are the people who make it all happen: Aussie Biscuits proudly employs 18 local people with disability. Stacey Fordham is preparing to celebrate an incredible 21 years with Aussie Biscuits. From wrapping biscuits to packing boxes, Stacey enjoys every aspect of her work, but says the friendships formed along the way are among the most rewarding parts of the job. Today, Aussie Biscuits is operated by Aruma, a disability service provider supporting more than 4,000 people with disability along Australia's east coast. Aruma was created in 2018 with the merging of two great organisations with more than 100 combined years of experience - House with No Steps and The Tipping Foundation.
