Edible Archives for Bradford 2025: 'We turn food into art and have captured the essence of Bradford in a biscuit tin'

Now, they’re bringing together food and art once again, this time to pay homage to the diverse stories and people of the city where they’re based. The pair are behind The Bradford Selection, a limited-edition run of biscuits, available in select shops from today, as part of Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.

They have been touring the city, collecting stories, histories and recipes and the biscuits are the carefully-crafted result. They are presented in a collectible tin, with artworks and stories that represent Bradford’s past, present and future - and there’s also an audio experience that people can listen to whilst tucking in.

“The thinking behind this project was to create something that would become like an heirloom object long after the year of culture has been and gone,” explains 38-year-old Sonia. “So thinking about something reusable as a keepsake and tapping into that sort of shared memory that so many of us have of your grandma keeping old school chocolate tins or biscuit tins and thinking about what they might be used for in the future.”

Harry, 34, chips in: “We really think about it in terms of the accessibility of storytelling as well. One of the other reasons why we really liked the idea of a biscuit tin is that it could be sold in shops across Bradford and people could encounter it as part of their everyday life. You might go out and specifically know that your biscuit tin is in your local shop and you go and get it, or you might just be there to grab some milk and then find this Bradford 2025 artwork, take it home and share it with your friends and family.

“And if you open up the tin and eat all the biscuits and don’t look at anything else, we would also consider that full engagement because it’s storytelling through the senses - how we’ve developed the biscuit design and the recipes helps to tell that story.”

Each biscuit is an entry point into talking about a certain community or landmark building from Bradford. They have been created through a series of workshops with groups such as the Bowling Park Community Orchard, people seeking sanctuary, and the 1in12 library collective. The biscuits include The Welcome, which is described as a nod towards the mix of languages in the city and to all of those who have found a home in Bradford. There’s also the Richard Dunn-ker, inspired by Bradford Boxer and former heavyweight champion Richard Dunn.

Apple Day Forever, meanwhile, celebrates the fruits of the labour put in by volunteers at Bowling Park Community Orchard, whilst ‘Til the Revolution is inspired by Bradford’s social history and represents hope, justice and solidarity. The fifth and final biscuit, Gur In a Suitcase, is inspired by the South Asian treat barfi and is a celebration both of Sikh-Punjabi diaspora communities, and of people’s connection to land through ingredients lovingly transported by families to and from homes across the globe.

The collection is described by Harry and Sonia as a “multi-sensory artwork held within a biscuit tin” and is something they have been working on for a couple of years. They first developed the idea in the aftermath of Bradford winning the City of Culture designation in May 2022.

Sonia’s journey into art has been through food, having run pop-up vegan catering in various arts venues. That got her thinking more creatively about catering as an art practice and she now brings food into installation art and theatre. Harry’s background, meanwhile, is as a writer and performer, who is interested predominantly in working within heritage spaces.

They collaborated on their first project together in 2022, Harry as artist in residence at Bradford City Hall and Sonia creating an edible installation in response to the archival material he was exploring. Soon afterwards, Edible Archives was born. “It is about creating these joyful connections through experiences to heritage that might feel a little intimidating or a little difficult to find an entry point into,” explains Harry, who is originally from Worcestershire but moved to Bradford six years ago. “Flavours are such a strong way of making connections and using that as a way to explore heritage is really exciting.”

Edible Archives also works to challenge the idea of art being overly visual, conceptual and intellectual to focus on a more sensory experience. “It’s about challenging our understanding of what art can be and where it’s placed as well,” Sonia says. “All of our work so far has not been in a gallery or a theatre space or a formal arts venue.”

The Bradford Selection is their most ambitious project to date, supported by Arts Council England, The National Lottery Heritage Fund, Emballator, and Bradford Council. It has been commissioned by Bradford 2025, in partnership with the British Library, whose food collections including recipe books, patents and manuscripts inspired the biscuit tin design. Bradford 2025’s creative director Shanaz Gulzar is “delighted” to have the project as part of programme, describing Harry and Sonia’s creation as “a biscuit tin with a difference where heritage and history can literally be dipped in your cuppa”.

Being part of the City of Culture year means a lot to Bradfordian Sonia in particular. She explains: “Growing up, the narrative when I was a young person was that for any sort of creative opportunities you needed to leave Bradford, and that’s what so many of my peers did.” But the artist and creative community of Bradford is one that is “really rich”, she says “so to be part of City of Culture, where there’s an international platform to showcase our work and our stories, I feel emotional. It’s amazing.”

The Bradford Selection is due to be on sale until the end of July, but only whilst stocks last. For details of where to buy, visit bradford2025.co.uk/event/the-bradford-selection