The West India Biscuit Company Limited
The West India Biscuit Company Limited, also known by its acronym “WIBISCO”, is one of the oldest established commercial bakeries in the Caribbean. A history of “Bajan” pride in quality baked biscuits, and dedication to customers is the dynamism behind The West India Biscuit Company Limited.
Biscuit baking started in Barbados as far back as 1850, when a small bakery, The Barbados Biscuit Company, was established by John Hoad & Company, on Lower Broad Street, Bridgetown, using limited mechanical equipment. In 1910, Weiting & Richter established The West India Biscuit Company Limited located at Spry Street, Bridgetown.
In spite of limitations, steady progress took place in both factories. Near the end of the World War II, around 1945, the demand for quality biscuits, outstripped the supply to the customers of these two biscuit companies. Three years later, The West India Biscuit Company Limited absorbed The Barbados Biscuit Company in order to better cope with the growing customer demand of their product. The Gills Road property was acquired and in 1951 operations were relocated to this present location.
The factory was converted to a highly mechanised plant; efficient, modern and capable of producing large quantities of crackers. Sweet biscuits were added to the range of products while maintaining the excellent quality that they were renowned for. Shirley (The Caribbean Classic) and Marie were among the first sweet biscuits to be manufactured there. In 1998, the Barbados Shipping & Trading sold its 30% stake in The West India Biscuit Company Limited to the Bermudez Biscuit Company of Trinidad which had always maintained close ties with The West India Biscuit Company Limited, even at one time jointly owning companies in Guyana and Antigua.
The West India Biscuit Company Limited is now a part of the Bermudez Group of Companies. This Group of Companies comprises the Bermudez Biscuit Company Limited, Holiday Snacks Limited, Kiss Baking and the Jamaica Biscuit Company Limited.