A London-based mosaic artist expressed his initial feelings of “nervousness” when McVitie’s approached him to create iconic portraits using biscuits.

Ed Chapman remarked, “I was uncertain if it was feasible to work with biscuits, as I feared they would just crumble apart.”

This artistic endeavor was commissioned as part of the brand’s centennial celebrations for their chocolate digestive biscuit.

Established in 1902, McVitie’s has operated a biscuit manufacturing facility in Harlesden, located in west London.

“I wasted no time and purchased some biscuits to experiment with how this could work. Eventually, I discovered a method that suited my vision.”

When inquired about the technique behind crafting such vibrant portraits from digestives, he explained, “At first, I believed the biscuits were quite uniform, but then I realized there are white chocolate, gold chocolate, dark chocolate, and of course, milk chocolate varieties. Additionally, the plain biscuit side adds different shades, creating a diverse color palette.”

“Initially, I didn’t consider the impact of the warm weather. Luckily, my studio faces north, but I kept the biscuits in the fridge, which made them easier to cut.”

Ed mentioned that the recent rise in temperatures poses a slight challenge, but he reassured, “I’ve applied multiple layers of varnish for protection. While I wouldn’t call them indestructible, they should hold up well—though they wouldn’t survive prolonged exposure to direct sunlight.”

The artist revealed that it took roughly 180 hours to complete the three portraits, utilizing “thousands” of biscuits provided by McVitie’s.

Mr. Chapman noted that the project has already received positive feedback and gained considerable attention online.

In addition to this work, the mosaic artist has undertaken campaigns for various other organizations, including Keep Britain Tidy.

The portraits are scheduled to be showcased on The Strand from May 2nd to 5th.