THE STORY: New Forest Shortbread

The Real Cheese Project talks to Tracey Thew about her exceptional shortbread biscuits.

Handmade, buttery, and rooted in the New Forest, this is the story behind the biscuit chosen by The Real Cheese Project for our Cheese Crowd subscribers tasting box.

THE STORY

When I first sat down with Tracey Thew, the force behind New Forest Shortbread, I quickly realised this wasn’t just a story about biscuits, it was about belonging, craft, and a deep sense of place. Tracey began baking in 2014, not out of business ambition, but because she simply couldn’t sit still after retiring. Gardening wasn’t her thing, so she turned to the comforting alchemy of butter, flour, and sugar and the result has become one of the most beloved small-batch bakes in the south.

Her first shortbread was wrapped in nothing more than a simple bag and hand-written tag. But even then, it had something, that “just baked by nana” quality that people instantly connected with. Local hotels picked it up, word spread, and by 2019 the brand had found its identity: New Forest Shortbread, with packaging celebrating the wildlife and ecology of the forest that inspired it.

Tracey laughs at the idea that her biscuits are “Scottish.” “They’re not,” she says. “They’re softer, more buttery, they melt rather than crunch.” This difference, she explains, comes down to her use of English butter made only from British cows’ milk. As a former dairy farmer herself, butter isn’t just an ingredient; it’s the heart of her story.

THE MAKE

Shortbread, at its simplest, follows the classic 3:2:1 ratio, flour, butter, sugar. But as Tracey explains, “It’s what you do with it that makes it sing.” Her secret? Never overmix. “Machines have to keep going; hands can stop when the texture’s right.” That, she says, is why handmade shortbread tastes like home, light, crumbly, perfectly balanced.

Where industrial producers might turn to alternatives for consistency, Tracey refuses. “If it’s not real butter, it’s not shortbread.” Each batch is tasted before it leaves the bakery not because it’s indulgent, but because colour alone can’t tell you if it’s perfect.

Her award-winning Rosemary Shortbread has become a cult favourite, earning two Great Taste stars and a place at the table of the Real Cheese Project. Alongside it are new seasonal flavours ginger, cinnamon, and other subtle blends that play beautifully with cheese. “It’s surprising,” she smiles, “but a good cheddar or a creamy blue really loves a herby shortbread.”

THE PACKING AND THE PLANET

Sustainability, for Tracey, isn’t a slogan, it’s a series of ongoing questions. She’s tried compostable materials (“they failed, the biscuits went soft!”), researched UK recycling systems (“most councils can’t process them properly”), and now uses a solution that keeps the shortbread fresh for up to six months.

But she’s still innovating: refill options for customers who want box-free biscuits, collaborations with local refill shops, and packaging people actually keep and reuse. “Our customers use the boxes for seeds, buttons, or paperclips,” she says proudly. “That’s a win.”

Her packaging isn’t just functional, it’s educational, too. Each box carries snippets about New Forest wildlife, from deer and beech trees to the forest’s ancient ecology. “I want people to feel where it comes from,” Tracey says. “To know this biscuit has roots.”

New Forest Shortbread - Lemon

THE COLLABORATION

It’s no wonder, then, that New Forest Shortbread has become the official biscuit of The Real Cheese Project. Everything about Tracey’s ethos, small-batch, ethical sourcing, no greenwashing, real flavour aligns with our mission to champion craft and sustainability.

We’ll be showcasing her shortbread at our events and in The Cheese Crowd – The Bite, pairing it with exceptional cheeses and wines. There’s even a plan for limited-edition Real Cheese Project packaging a collaboration that celebrates both the land and the people who work it.

Tracey’s excitement about the partnership is infectious. “It just fits,” she says. “Good cheese, good biscuit, good people.”

THE QUICK FIRE ROUND

We ended our chat with a round of fast questions and Tracey’s answers say everything about her personality and her brand:

Preferred butter: Salted, always.
Best bit of shortbread: The crunchy edge.
Theme song: “Annie’s Song” by John Denver.
Who would play you in a film? Ingrid Bergman.
Drink of choice with shortbread: Champagne, it doesn’t kill the bubbles!
Cheese pairing: “Anything creamy or blue, it’s surprisingly perfect.”

New Forest Shortbread isn’t just a biscuit, it’s a taste of place, made with care, grounded in honesty, and crafted to sit beautifully beside real cheese.