A Sweet Collaboration: Local Honey from Wimbish

Celebrating the craft behind one of our favourite ingredients... Honey

At Hill St., we are always seeking out exceptional, local ingredients to use in our chocolates—and our honey is no exception. 🍯

We recently had the pleasure of visiting the home of our honey, where we spent a wonderful afternoon with the incredibly knowledgeable and passionate Deryck Johnson, a local beekeeper based in Wimbish, just outside of Saffron Walden.

Deryck is no ordinary beekeeper. With over 40 years of experience, he began his beekeeping journey upon moving to Wimbish and has since become a cornerstone of the local beekeeping community. He received expert training from the late Ted Hooper, author of Guide to Bees and Honey, and Clive de Bruyn, both esteemed former Essex County Bee Instructors.

Now a mentor in his own right, Deryck has guided countless budding beekeepers through the art and science of apiculture at his own apiary. He teaches under the Essex Beekeepers’ Association and is also an assessor for the British Beekeeping Association.

We’re incredibly proud to use Deryck’s honey in a number of our Hill St. creations—from our ganaches to our chocolate-dipped honey sticks. Not only does it add a smooth, floral sweetness to our chocolates, but it also supports our commitment to using high-quality, traceable ingredients from producers who care deeply about their craft.

One of our favourites is our Luxury Chocolate Box 'The Girls'—named in honour of Deryck’s bees, whom he affectionately refers to as “The Girls.” It’s a small tribute to the vital role they play in making such an extraordinary ingredient, and the care that goes into every jar of honey we use.

A big thank you to Deryck for sharing his time, knowledge, and of course, his delicious honey with us. Keep an eye out in-store and online to discover where this beautiful ingredient is featured in our collection.