Artist replicates ‘iconic’ British biscuits in the form of clay coasters

An artist has replicated popular British biscuits in the form of clay coasters so people can have a bit of “fun” while they drink a cup of tea.

Hayley Tomlinson, who is based in Worcestershire and goes by the name @clayleybyhayley on TikTok, began creating art using clay in 2022 and has since gone on to create realistic coasters of biscuits including Jammie Dodgers, Party Rings, ginger nuts and Jaffa Cakes.

“I didn’t think (my coasters) would ever be something that would reach the actual companies that make the biscuits so that was pretty cool,” Ms Tomlinson, who works at a care home in addition to creating her clay art, told the PA news agency.

“I remember being a kid and playing with Play-Doh and then I looked into air dry clay and made biscuit coasters because I wanted to make everyday items that you wouldn’t expect to be made from clay.

The coasters take a few days to make and the process begins with grey air dry clay, which Ms Tomlinson moulds into the shape of the biscuit she is recreating using photos as a guide.

She then uses different tools including metal rings and a craft knife to make sure her coasters look as similar to the biscuit she is depicting as possible.

Finally, she covers her coasters with resin to give them a shiny look.

She said the drying process can be stressful at times, adding: “You can spend hours making a whole series of biscuits and then the next day you go in, wherever you’re drying it, and go and have a look and you’ve got these cracks or breakages in the clay and you have to start again.”

However, the biscuit she most enjoys eating is a Jaffa Cake, even though there has been much debate on whether the sweet treat is in fact a biscuit or a cake – a question she posed to the official Jaffa Cakes TikTok account and is still awaiting a response to.

“That’s the controversial one – I’m not sure if it is a cake or a biscuit, but I quite liked making the Jaffa Cake (coaster) because it’s so simple as it only uses two main colours of acrylic paint but once it all comes together, people know straight away that’s a Jaffa Cake,” Ms Tomlinson said.

“Biscuits are a very personal thing to go with your cup of tea,” she added.

“I think the answer is always tea and biscuits to anything … and it reminds me of going to my grandparents and they’ve always got biscuits in the cupboard.

Other food-centred coasters she has made include stackable clay versions of a Victoria sponge, a ham and cheese toastie and a burger – complete with cheese, lettuce and red onion.

“Coasters need to be stackable so I was thinking of food which could be stacked which is quite endless,” she said.

“Some people like a certain type of jam or different types of filling and because each piece I make if quite unique, it is fun having the different options of layers so people can almost build it themselves.”

Next on her list are Bourbon biscuit and Custard Cream coasters.

Ms Tomlinson’s work can be viewed on her Etsy page: https://www.etsy.com/uk/shop/ClayleyByHayley