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Products of Zhejiang Youla Foods Co include self-branded cookies and those manufactured for other brands. [Photo/Tide News]

Inside the production facility of Zhejiang Youla Foods Co in Jiaxing's Nanhu district, an intricate process has been transforming raw ingredients into crisp and flavorful biscuits, Tide News reported on March 10.

From mixing and molding to filling, cutting, and packaging, every step runs smoothly, with the factory producing tens of thousands of biscuits per minute.

The company, a branch of Shanghai Lila Foods Co, opened in Jiaxing in 2019 and began full-scale production in 2023.

Today, it operates over 20 state-of-the-art production lines capable of producing a wide range of biscuits. In 2024, Youla Foods achieved an output value of 100 million yuan ($13.7 million), with projections to surpass 200 million yuan this year.

Founder Wu Xuefeng, a native of Jiaxing, spent 16 years honing his market expertise in Shanghai before deciding to return. His primary criterion for selecting a business location was the quality of the local business environment.

"The best relationship between a city and an entrepreneur is one of mutual growth," he said. Jiaxing's strong reputation for supporting enterprises, combined with a government eager to facilitate success, made it the ideal choice.

Among Youla's standout products is its caramelized biscuit, a staple of modern afternoon tea culture. The brand's iconic logo has become synonymous with this beloved treat. "Before 2013, we primarily produced compressed biscuits, evergreen biscuits, and scallion crackers. That year, we developed a caramel biscuit tailored to Chinese tastes, and it quickly captured the national market," Wu recalled.

Youla Foods sources premium ingredients, including New Zealand dairy. The company has refined traditional caramel biscuit recipes by reducing sugar by 50 percent, cutting oil content, and creating a crispier texture better suited to Asian palates and tea pairings — all at just 40 percent of the cost of imported Belgian alternatives.

The factory is home to one of China's most advanced biscuit production lines, achieving 30 percent higher efficiency than comparable facilities. Fully automated from ingredient mixing to packaging, the process ensures both quality consistency and high production capacity, with daily output reaching tens of millions of biscuits.

While Southeast Asia remains its primary overseas market, Youla Foods is actively pursuing international certifications to expand into Europe and North America. The company continues to push innovation, from hawthorn-flavored mini biscuits to black truffle soda crackers and chocolate-dipped cookies. "We have a dedicated R&D team constantly refining flavors and improving recipes," Wu said.

Today, Youla Foods supplies major biscuit brands while also growing its own brand presence in leading supermarkets like Metro and RT-Mart. "Our mission is simple: to perfect every biscuit and bring the taste of Jiaxing to the world," Wu added.