From Newtown to New Markets Worldwide

At Hilltop we have always been driven by growth and efficiency. From our beginnings in Mid Wales in 2011, we have gone from a local honey producer to becoming the second largest honey brand in the UK and the fastest growing.

That journey has been shaped not only by the quality of our products but also by the decisions we have taken to invest, expand and adapt.

In recent years we have moved into two new sites in Newtown, which has increased our capacity to more than 30,000 tonnes of honey a year. That expansion has been transformative. The efficiencies we now achieve in packing for the UK market have opened the door to something we had long aspired to: the chance to compete internationally.

Export is not something that happens by chance. The work we have put in domestically has made us competitive on the global stage, and the opportunities we are now pursuing are a direct result of that. The Middle East has become a particularly strong market for us, with significant sales into Dubai, Qatar and, more recently, Saudi Arabia. At the same time, we continue to build our presence across Europe, with customers in Ireland, Germany, Sweden and Iceland. And most recently, the USA has become a major focus.

We have built a strong e-commerce model in the UK through Amazon, and that has been recognised internationally. We are now working with Amazon on expanding into the US market, and stock is already on the water, destined for Aldi America in time for Christmas. It is a significant step for us as a Mid Wales business.

Export, however, is not without its challenges. The recent tariffs introduced by the United States were an unwelcome barrier, one we did not anticipate. They have inevitably had an impact on price, but we have adapted. In our case, a combination of resilience and support helped us to keep momentum, and we have been able to continue shipping product into the market.

Support has been important in helping us navigate this journey. Attending large trade shows can be overwhelming. Events such as Gulfood in Dubai are vast, competitive environments where it is easy to feel dwarfed by the scale of it all. To succeed, we found it was vital not to treat a trade show as a stand-alone activity but to approach it as part of a longer process. For us that means three months of preparation, with detailed research and planning before we even arrive.

One example was the Fancy Food Show in New York. Ahead of that, we took part in an International Trade Development programme which gave us in-depth research into the market. It covered everything from identifying key customers and states where demand for honey is strongest, to understanding labelling legislation and trademarks. That preparation meant that when we arrived in New York, we weren’t starting from scratch. Instead, we could focus our time on the right distributors and customers, maximising every meeting.

That kind of groundwork makes a huge difference. Trade shows are demanding and time-consuming, and the relationships that matter take time to build. Having the right information beforehand allows you to concentrate effort where it will count most.

We are now taking that same approach as we prepare to return to America in March. With support from the Welsh Government, we are completing an Overseas Business Development Visit that will build on the contacts and knowledge we already have. It is about making sure that every trip is part of a wider strategy, not an isolated event.

For us, the lesson has been clear. Investment in our operations here in Mid Wales has given us the capacity to compete globally. That, combined with careful planning and the right support, has allowed us to turn export opportunities into reality.

The growth of Hilltop has been a story of constant adaptation and ambition, and our move into international markets is the next step in that journey.

Jack Davies talks about this and more in the Food and Drink podcast episode Taking Welsh Food and Drink Global. Listen to the podcast here.

Find out more about the support on offer to Welsh food and drink producers here.