After 22 years in business, Ricci’s Bikkies is bringing back its most celebrated creation — the Yo-Yo — reviving an 80-year old family recipe steeped in tradition, community, and love.
Buttery, delicate, and melt-in-your-mouth delicious, Ricci’s Yo-Yos are the kind of treat that spark instant nostalgia. And now, after two decades of requests, they’re finally back.
The comeback begins with a one-day-only factory-door event on Saturday 13 September, from 10am to 2pm, at the Hunter Road bakery in Healesville.
It’s a milestone that feels full circle for Ricci and Ross, who began their journey in 2003 when Ricci, a mother of three, started baking from home. From humble beginnings, Ricci’s Bikkies grew into a thriving business — supported by its community, spread through word of mouth, and cherished for biscuits that quickly became a local favourite.
Two decades on, Ricci’s Bikkies stands as Australia’s first — and largest — pita crisp producer, with products now on supermarket shelves nationwide and exports reaching the USA, Japan, Singapore, the UAE, and China. Closer to home, you might know them best for their pita crisps in Coles delis — stacked in rustic baskets right at the counter, a little reminder of how a Yarra Valley bakery found its way into the nation’s everyday shopping trips. And for Ricci, there’s an extra layer of pride: her mum, Irene, now nearly 80, still makes a weekly stop at Coles to pick up her Ricci’s Bikkies — proof that family tradition and community connection run right through the brand. Yet despite that global footprint, the heart of the business remains firmly in Healesville.
That sense of place infuses everything they do. Consider their celebrated collaboration with Four Pillars Gin, where distilled gin botanicals are transformed into an artisan pita crisp that Ricci proudly calls ’the tastiest cheese carrier out there’ — a clever idea first dreamed up by her husband Ross.
It’s delicious, inventive, and unmistakably Yarra Valley.
Still, it’s the Yo-Yos that hold a special kind of magic. For locals, they’re more than just a biscuit — they’re woven into family stories, morning teas, and childhood memories.
“These sales are our way of saying thank you,” Ross said.
“The Yo-Yos connect us back to where it all began, and we want people to share in that.”
“For me, the Yo-Yos are more than a biscuit — they hold the joy and memories of the last 22 years.“
Ricci said they built this business alongside their daughters, who are now grown and following their own paths.
“But when they come home, we’re reminded that our roots are still here, firmly tied to this community,“ she said.
“In our family, a biscuit is never just a biscuit — it’s the bond of our story, and the thread that connects us back to where it all began.”
The journey hasn’t been without support. Ricci and Ross are quick to acknowledge the role of Yarra Ranges Council’s Business Investment and Support team (Economy, Tourism and Culture Department), whose steady guidance and encouragement have helped the bakery grow while remaining true to its Healesville roots.
At the centre of it all are the staff — the bakers, packers, and dreamers who keep the wheels turning every day.
“They’re the heartbeat of Ricci’s Bikkies, giving life and energy to everything we do. Our workplace is more than just a workplace — it’s a safe place for all, built on equality, respect, and the belief that everyone has a place at the table.”
After all these years, the Yo-Yos bring us back to where it all began — reminding us that sometimes the sweetest journeys are the ones that lead us home.
