HI L L ST
“A lot of people say now they can’t have any other chocolate”
at the Carpigiani Gelato University in Bologna: we couldn’t believe the integrity, the science, the quality of ingredients – we were really inspired by the process and how it complemented what we were doing with the chocolate.” With their second store getting busier by the day and new orders coming in from Japan, the brothers found themselves propelled even further into the public eye at the start of February when they appeared on an episode of Jamie and Jimmy’s Friday Night Feast , broadcast just as this issue went to print. Once back down to earth, their intentions for the year ahead are to settle in at the Cambridge branch, possibly expand the Saffron Walden store to offer a little more of an experience and to work on growing the brand’s burgeoning profile in Japan. “I know a lot of French chocolatiers that have actually opened a store in Japan,” Greg grins. “It’s a huge leap – that’s certainly not in our plans at the moment, but I think we would love to visit and understand the market better.” Wherever the next few years takes them, one aspect they’ll never compromise on is the relationship between the two of them. “We have a really good balance of loyalty and respect for each other, but also hugely different skill sets,” Greg says. “Chris effectively takes complete control of all the culinary activity in the kitchens, and then everything outside of that is for myself – but that allows him to be more creative, and not have to worry about spreadsheets and accountants. Our different skill sets strengthen our relationship: it might be harder if I was a chef, and we were both working alongside each other trying to make similar decisions, because we’re both quite strong- minded – but that’s not the case. There’s a loyalty, a trust that comes from working with your family, that I don’t think you could ever get from a friend or another business associate.” Perhaps the ingredients for happiness are right there in plain sight on Hill St’s branding: two brothers, making chocolate, with love, in Essex. When you put it like that, it seems simple – but it’s clear that the method involves hard work, dedication, an entire family pulling together and a little bit of sugar – which makes the Smiths’ deserved success all the sweeter.
of fondant. For some reason, people think that’s OK – or at least you do until you try the real thing – and then you can’t go back,” he laughs. “A lot of people in Saffron Walden say we’ve got them hooked, and now they can’t have any other chocolate.” Over the four years that the brothers have run their business, they’ve noticed their customers becoming more conscious of ingredients and the quality of what they’re eating – as well as an increasing number of allergens and specific dietary requirements. “We have quite a few vegan products, and a few customers that are coeliac, they’re probably the two main ones,” Greg says. “And then we have a very health-conscious community that wants a sort of sweet treat, but with minimal amounts of sugar: we sell a 100% raw cacao that some people thoroughly enjoy – though I’m probably not one of them,” he laughs. “I like a little bit of sugar. But they like the stripped-back ingredients. So it’s very clear, very clean, as there are no additives or preservatives involved.” The brothers are about to face their busiest half of the year, with Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day and Easter in quick succession, and have plans to expand their offering even further in the summer months, when their Saffron Walden store spends the warmer part of the year churning fresh Italian gelato on a daily basis, deciding whether to do so depending on the weather forecast, and the intention is to bring this to All Saints’ Passage. “My brother worked in many restaurants before he was a chocolatier and had always made gelato on a small scale,” Greg says. “So when we were evaluating how to progress that part of the business, naturally we had to take a business trip to Italy,” he chuckles. “We ended up training
IMAGES Getting creative with cocoa, and (below) the brothers recently appeared on Friday Night Feast with Jamie Oliver and Jimmy Doherty
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