HI L L ST
laughs again. “And now we’ve developed such a wonderful relationship with them. We’re really in the early stages of our business, and them having such confidence in an English chocolatier is so rewarding – compared to a newcomer based in France, who might have got into Japan quickly, partly because of them being from France. We’ve still got some work to do developing our brand in Tokyo and in Japan, but we’re up for the challenge,” he grins. Japan has very strict legislation about the purity of ingredients, with certain additives and colourings outlawed – but this presented no challenge for Hill St, which has always prized freshness and used authentic ingredients to create a dazzling intensity of flavour. “Take our mint chocolate, for example,” Greg explains: “Chris makes this with fresh, locally grown spearmint, infusing it in ganache. Predominantly, mint chocolates you’ve tried before are normally made with artificial flavouring, made into a sort
chocolate products that have come from France, Switzerland and Belgium: those from other areas of Europe get a little attention, but those from England are normally disregarded,” Greg says. “Chris’s chef, Patrick Roger, is a hugely well-respected chocolatier in Paris who also exports to Japan and whose support is a huge accolade. We hope to capture the attention of some of the larger department stores in Tokyo in the future, through strengthening our presence in Japan. The Japanese client we supply to actually put Hill St on the front page of this catalogue in the first year, which was amazing – and they placed a really large order for Valentine’s Day.” Greg laughs and his eyes widen, remembering the relentless intensity of delivering the order. “It took three of us 14 days to fulfil it, without being able to make anything else – normally we’re making all our other products for the stores as well. We just saw the quantities growing, and growing,” he
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