Why We Bake to Order (and Ship on Mondays)
The logistics behind a fresh cookie are more deliberate than they look. Here is how the Chip dispatch model actually works — and why it matters for your box.
Most food businesses optimise for inventory. The product is made in advance, held in a warehouse or a cool room or a display case, and dispatched whenever the order comes in. This works well for a lot of things — olive oil, packaged biscuits, most shelf-stable food products. It does not work well for a thick, stuffed, gooey cookie.
The Chip dispatch model was built around one constraint: a gooey stuffed cookie is a time-sensitive product. The freshness window is real, it is narrow, and every hour between the oven and your mouth is a small step in the wrong direction. The bake-to-order, Monday-dispatch model is our answer to that constraint.
How does the Chip order and dispatch cycle work?
Chip operates on monthly drops — each drop is an episode with a set of flavours available for that month. When an episode opens, you can place your order and select a Monday dispatch date from the available options. Orders close for each dispatch date before the weekend, giving us a confirmed bake list before Monday morning.
On Monday morning we bake everything on the list — and only what is on the list. There is no pre-baked stock sitting in a cool room. Every cookie in every box that goes out the door that day was baked that morning. We pack the boxes, hand them to AusPost Express, and they take it from there.
How long does delivery take from dispatch?
We ship exclusively via AusPost Express. For Sydney Metro, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra, Adelaide, Hobart, and Perth CBD, that means next business day — so if we dispatch on Monday, most of those customers have their cookies by Tuesday morning. Regional NSW, Darwin, Greater Perth, and regional interstate hubs are typically 2–3 business days. Remote areas (remote WA, remote NT) can be 3 or more business days — the full detail is on our shipping page.
For Sydney customers in particular, the turnaround is about as tight as it gets for a baked-to-order product: your cookies come out of the oven Monday morning and land on your doorstep Tuesday. That is roughly 24 hours from oven to door, which puts the cookie in your hands while it is still very much within its best window.
How is this different from cookies that sit on shelves?
A cookie that was baked four or five days ago and has been sitting in a sealed bag at room temperature is not the same product as a cookie that came out of the oven this morning. The texture shifts: the gooey centre firms up, the crispy edge softens, and the flavour concentrates in ways that are not always flattering. None of this makes it inedible — but it does make it a noticeably different experience.
Most packaged cookies are designed with shelf life as a primary constraint — the recipe, the ingredients, and the baking method are all calibrated to maximise how long the cookie can sit before it becomes unacceptable. That optimisation runs in exactly the opposite direction from what makes a thick, gooey, stuffed cookie great. You cannot have both. We chose freshness.
How should I store cookies after they arrive?
If you are planning to eat them within a few days: room temperature in an airtight container is ideal. The cookies stay at their best for up to 5 days from dispatch. Refrigerating them is not necessary and can actually dry them out faster than room temperature storage would.
If you want to keep them longer: freeze them. Chip cookies freeze extremely well — wrap them individually and they will keep for up to 4 weeks in the freezer without meaningful quality loss. To bring them back, a 160°C oven for 5–8 minutes from frozen is the most reliable method. If you are in a hurry, 10 seconds in the microwave restores the gooey centre well enough. Full reheat guidance is in our FAQ.
Why Mondays specifically?
Mondays give most Australian capital city customers a Tuesday delivery — which means the cookies arrive early in the week while they are still very fresh, rather than arriving on a Friday afternoon and sitting over the weekend. It also means we are not baking into a weekend logistics gap where express shipping times are less reliable. Monday dispatch via AusPost Express is the combination that gives us the most consistent delivery window for the most customers.
If you are ready to order, the Build a Box page will show you the current episode's available flavours and upcoming dispatch dates. The FAQ has answers to the most common questions about the ordering process.
Frequently asked questions
How does bake-to-order cookie delivery work?
You place your order and select a Monday dispatch date. We bake your cookies fresh on that Monday morning — only what has been ordered, nothing pre-made. We pack and hand to AusPost Express the same day. Sydney Metro customers typically receive their order Tuesday; other capitals and major cities also next business day; regional areas 2–3 business days.
How long do cookies stay fresh after delivery?
At their best in the first 24–48 hours after baking. They remain good at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 5 days from dispatch. For longer storage, freeze them — up to 4 weeks — and reheat from frozen in a 160°C oven for 5–8 minutes, or 10 seconds in the microwave to restore the gooey texture.
When do I need to order by to make a Monday dispatch?
At checkout, you select your preferred Monday dispatch date from the available options. Each dispatch date has its own cutoff — the Build a Box page shows which dates are still open for ordering. If a date is full or closed, you will not be able to select it. Dispatch dates are limited each drop, so ordering early gives you the most choice.
Can I freeze Chip cookies?
Yes — Chip cookies freeze very well. Wrap them individually and they will keep for up to 4 weeks in the freezer without meaningful quality loss. To reheat from frozen: 160°C oven for 5–8 minutes, or 10 seconds in the microwave for a quick warm. From room temperature, a 10-second microwave is enough to restore the gooey centre.
Why do you only dispatch on Mondays?
Monday dispatch via AusPost Express gives most Australian capital city customers a Tuesday delivery — meaning fresh cookies arrive early in the week while they are still within their best window. It also avoids the weekend logistics gap where express transit times are less predictable. It is the combination that gives us the most reliable delivery outcome for the most customers.
Ready to taste it?
Chip Bakehouse — delivered fresh across Australia.
