Byron Bay in New South Wales is more famous for its pristine beaches, whale watching and Blues Festival than international gourmet businesses, but the Byron Bay Cookie Company is changing all that as its deliciously different sweet treats get snapped up by fans in Australia, Europe, North America and Asia.

When Company Chairman, Gordon Slater, first looked at buying into the Byron Bay Cookie Company (BBCC) his lawyer was less than enthusiastic. As Slater watched the man devour an entire box of the company's cookies in one meeting, he decided to ignore the advice and dive in. Slater has been a Director for eight years and Chairman for six.

During that time, Gordon has helped build the company incrementally with BBCC having an 11% growth over the last financial year though six outlets, over 300 SKUs and through a number of cafes nationally and distribution overseas. A passionate believer in the quality of these cookies, Slater says "at approximately 270 calories per cookie, when we choose a treat for the day, I believe a fresh baked cookie made with quality ingredients is the way to go. I want Byron Bay Cookies to become the treat of choice, not only for Australians, but cookie lovers around the world".

A commitment to excellence, to exploring maximum flavour with the highest quality products and the ability to meet specialist market needs defines BBCC's success. "We start with flavour and don't compete with generic lower quality products," adds Slater.

First baked in a farmhouse oven in Byron Bay's famous hinterlands, today 's cookies - still made in Byron Bay - are sold in gourmet cafes, grocery stores and David Jones department stores nationally. They are the cookies of choice for passengers on Qantas, Rex and Virgin Blue flights and internationally renowned stores such as Harvey Nichols and Selfridges in the UK, now sell them along with department stores in Asia, Japan, the Middle East and North America.

"This quintessentially Australian company has achieved so much," says Slater, "In my time here we've managed to increase sales fivefold and gained major national customers as well as expanding to Europe and opening an office in USA."

Another source of pride is the acquiring of two additional brands - Luken & May sweet biscuits and Gold Coast-based Falwasser crisp breads - thus expanding BBCC's opportunities for growth in the worlds of both sweet and savoury product lines.

The iconic Dotty Cookie is the company's highest selling sweet treat, followed by the gluten free White Choc Macadamia variety. The recently introduced Rocky Road is fast becoming a star seller too.

Gluten free sales are currently growing 27 percent, year on year, with three gluten free products in BBCC's top 10 best sellers. The full range of Byron Bay Cookies has been approved by the Vegetarian Society and the gluten-free range is registered with the Coeliac Society to use the cross grain symbol. Research and development on other innovative cookie styles continues in the wake of this gluten free success.

Being based in a place better known for big waves than big business holds no barriers to this unique company. In 2007, wanting to honour its green credentials and use as many locally sourced ingredients as possible, Byron Bay Cookie Company signed a deal with one of the UK's most prestigious bakeries to produce the cookies in the United Kingdom. Applying the same philosophy as it does for the Australian market, Byron Bay UK-baked cookies use as many ingredients as possible, sourced within a 50-mile radius of the UK bake house.

Visitors to Byron Bay can still buy direct from the company at Shop 1, BP Ozigo Complex and a new flagship bakehouse is planned for the township in the near future. Travellers at Brisbane Airport can visit the retail outlet in the domestic terminal and a new BBCC Bakehouse outlet has just opened in Central Park Plaza on the Gold Coast. Cookies can also be purchased online at www.cookie.com.au.

For all media enquiries contact:

Clemence Harvey/ Jenny Brookes Harvey Publicity Email: clemence@harveypublicity.com.au / jenny@harveypublicity.com.au Mob: 0417 522 603/ 0439 306 382 Tel: + 61 3 9682 8555