The sweet path to growth: Scott Davies on building the Hilltop Honey empire
The sweet path to growth: Scott Davies on building the Hilltop Honey empire
Scott Davies, Founder and CEO of Hilltop Honey, shares the inspiring journey behind one of the UK's fastest-growing honey brands, revealing how he turned a modest idea into a thriving £44 million enterprise.
In this interview, Scott opens up about the challenges of scaling a business, his shift in strategy, and how he’s built a brand that is both sustainable and commercially successful.
With diversification plans and international growth on the horizon, Hilltop Honey’s future looks as sweet as ever.
What are the key barriers to growth as a scale-up?
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Could you share Hilltop Honey’s origin story?
Back in my early 20s I was working at a coal yard, but after injuring my back playing rugby I found myself out of work and unsure of my next step. I didn’t have any qualifications, and I couldn't imagine myself stuck behind a desk. But I’d always fancied the idea of starting my own business. While I was recovering, I started reading about bees and thought, "These are pretty cool." It was 2011, and honey wasn’t really being talked about that much, so I felt there was an opportunity there.
I took a few half-day courses through the Welsh government, learned the basics about business plans and accounting, and by September, Hilltop Honey was officially born. We started small, packing honey in my parents' house and selling door-to-door, before moving into a tiny industrial unit. I hired my first employee in the second year, which was terrifying. But from there, things scaled up fast. In our first year, we did £24K in revenue, then £84K, £234K, and it just kept growing. Now, we’re at over 130 employees and £44 million in revenue.
How did you fund the business on your journey to scale?
Access to finance has always been a huge challenge – it’s been mostly about scrimping and saving. I started with a modest £5,000 loan, which the bank gave me mostly out of sympathy. That first industrial unit I moved into was £90 a month, and I had to make do with second-hand equipment because that’s all I could afford.
As the business grew, the challenges of securing further funding didn’t get any easier. In our third year, I was desperately trying to raise £20,000 but struggled to find anyone willing to lend it. I even borrowed another £5,000 from my parents. During this tough period, I considered taking on investors but eventually decided against it. Instead, I focused on building relationships with suppliers and customers, asking them to grow with us. And they did. I think this approach fits with the B Corp ethos, which is about bringing all stakeholders on board. If your community, suppliers, and customers are invested in your success, it can work wonders.
Now, over ten years down the line, we’ve just managed to secure a fantastic £10 million backing from Santander. But still, looking back I’m glad I didn’t get easy money early on – I learned so much by having to make it work.
What was the biggest challenge you faced on your scale-up journey?
One of the biggest challenges was realising that my original plan just wasn’t going to cut it. When we started, I was fully immersed in beekeeping, growing our number of hives and focusing on honey production. I quickly realised that to be a commercial player in the beekeeping industry, you need around 250 hives and a hefty investment – something like £100,000 to £150,000. I didn’t have that kind of cash or time, and our growth was stalling. By the third year, despite having a decent turnover of £250,000, I was only paying myself £2,500 a year and was struggling to make sense of where all the money was going.
That’s when a seasoned beekeeper gave me some invaluable advice: "You can either keep bees and sell honey in bulk or buy honey in bulk and sell it in jars." This was a real lightbulb moment for me. I realised I was spending so much time with the bees that I wasn’t dedicating enough to marketing and growing the brand. I made the tough call to focus less on beekeeping and more on the business side – marketing, branding, and building relationships with suppliers. This shift was crucial. Instead of expanding my own hives, I began working with other beekeepers around the country who had the expertise but lacked the commercial know-how. This approach allowed us to scale up effectively and keep the business growing.
You’re now a widely stocked brand in the UK. Did you have challenges with visibility when Hilltop Honey first entered the market?
Absolutely, yes. In the beginning I had no big connections or marketing budget, so it really was about graft. I remember putting my last £400 into a one-day stand at the Speciality Fine Food Fair in London, thinking, “This is it. All or nothing.” It was there that I was approached by Holland & Barrett. That one moment was a game-changer, though it took a good nine months of back-and-forth to finally land the deal.
Once we got that first big order, things picked up fast, but it wasn’t without its struggles. I had no clue about the ins and outs of retail – barcodes, case sizes, logistics – all the technical bits. I had to learn on the fly, but I was determined. After Holland & Barrett, I set my sights on Tesco, sending them a cheeky email about why they didn’t have British honey on their shelves. To my shock, they invited me to pitch, and before I knew it, I was supplying 550 stores. That was a sink or swim moment, but saying yes without having everything figured out pushed me to make it work.
Retail is tough, and getting on shelves is only half of it. We had to make compromises, moving from selling premium jars of honey at £6–10, to more affordable options at £2 to stay competitive. It’s a delicate balance of holding onto our brand ethos while adapting to the realities of mass retail.
Changing price points is quite a brand compromise. What other ways has your brand had to evolve to stay commercial?
As demand for product grew, we had to make the decision to expand out supply chain overseas to global beekeepers. On paper, this completely changes our status as the British honey and it was a decision that many of my closest advisors thought was a mistake. But demand was outweighing supply, so really it was a decision that had to be made in order to keep our lowest price points and honey on the shelves.
In the end though, I feel like the shift really helped to strengthen Hilltop Honey's brand ethos. Initially, we were centred around my own small-scale beekeeping operation, but as I began working with other beekeepers and sourcing honey globally, it became more about supporting the beekeeping community as a whole. We weren’t just selling honey – we were helping to create a sustainable network of beekeepers who might not have the means or interest in selling their own honey. This collaborative approach aligned with our values of transparency and sustainability, which is what we aim to bring to the table as a B Corp business.
It wasn’t about compromising on values but about making great honey accessible at different price points. Expanding our supply chains allowed us to support beekeepers from around the world and build relationships with suppliers who share our commitment to ethical practices.
What’s next for Hilltop Honey?
For us, diversification is key to the future. The business has always been about products from the beehive, but I’ve realised there’s so much more we can do. We’re already expanding into bee pollen, beeswax, candles, lip balms, and even face creams made from honey and beeswax. Mead is another big one – we’re talking honey-based alcohol, like a session mead, which could be a great way to introduce people to something a bit different.
Cracking markets like the US and Australia is also a big focus. I’m hoping the next five years could see us taking a real foothold in those areas.
As a now successful business owner, what advice would you give to business leaders on their own scale-up journeys?
Really know what you want to do and stick to it. It sounds simple, but you’d be amazed at how many people I meet who don’t have a clear plan. I’ve seen it so many times – people get impatient, think they can jump into something new, and end up being spread too thin before they’ve even nailed their core offering. You’ve got to have the patience to see your plan through. Write a solid business plan and use it as your guide. It doesn’t have to be perfect, but the process of writing it will help clarify your vision and keep you focused.
I’d also say focus on your leadership teams. Hire people who are better than you in specific areas – you can’t be the best at everything, so bring in specialists and let them do their thing. It’s about building a team and giving them the space to excel, not micromanaging every detail. That’s how you scale sustainably.
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