About us

Discover why we're still here after almost 170 years.

We're approaching our 170th Anniversary

Hill Biscuits is one of the largest and longest established biscuit manufacturers in the United Kingdom. From its site in the heart of Ashton-under-Lyne, the Hill bakery operates 24 hours a day and produces over 100 product lines of everyday traditional biscuits – including flavoured creams, Bourbon Creams, Fruit Shorties, Gingerbread Men and Digestives – all following family recipes handed down through the generations.

Started in 1855 by John and Sarah Hill from a small shop in Dukinfield, Manchester – manufacturing was scaled to meet supply in 1889 and four years later the foundation stone for the Tudno Mill factory was laid by Sarah Hill on 4th November 1893. The bakery remains the home of Hill Biscuits to this day, 130 years on.

Most of our history has been under family ownership, apart from a 10 year period from 1969 when the business was bought by Rowntree Mackintosh. It then returned to family ownership in 1979, led by the Bennett family for the next 38 years. In 2017 a management buy-out took place supported by private equity investors LDC, and since then the business has gone from strength to strength.

Building our future

The business aims to invest in the right areas to sustain our growth, improve competitive fitness and support our evolving corporate commitments. Our objective is to build key relationships with customers and partners throughout our supply chain, whilst internally building robust systems and confident teams.

Competitiveness and the ability to be agile will drive business growth, delivering against the diverse needs of our customers. To support growth and capacity utilisation, our Senior Leadership Team (SLT) are concentrating on strategic process improvement investments, investigating opportunities to simplify and make processes more efficient. Alongside this, the SLT have instigated a restructuring of the Management Team to optimise the strengths and knowledge of the team, underpinning the business growth ambition.

Developing our Environmental, Social and Governance is also a business focus.

Our core values

Honesty

We have strong moral principles, truthful and fair with other people. We speak the truth to help develop and improve, we have integrity and acknowledge people’s efforts before promoting our own.

Respect

We treat others, in the workplace and community, with courtesy and consideration. We respect opinions and beliefs that may not fit with our own, we listen and consider other people’s views, always with dignity.

Responsibility

We are responsible for the effects of our working environment. We are reliable, dependable, committed, accountable and take responsibility for our actions, endorsing the correct ways of working.

Humility

We are modest and unassuming, never believing that we are superior to others. We are humble enough to accept both praise and criticism. We seek the good in everything, recognising our own weaknesses.

Our accreditations

BRC

(British Retail Consortium)

Hill Biscuits carry a GRADE AA* Certification for our continuing commitment to food quality, standards and procedures. The BRC Global Standard shows the dedication and drive for perfection that exemplifies the devotion of our staff.
View our certificate

RSPO

(Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil)

Membership No: 4-0289-12-000-00
The RSPO has more than 4000 members worldwide who represent all links along the palm oil supply chain, committed to
produce, source and/or use sustainable RSPO-certified palm oil.
View our certificate

Vegetarian Society

Hill Biscuits have gained accreditation to allow us to make on pack Vegan and Vegetarian claims for Hill branded products.
View our certificate

The Rainforest Alliance

Hill Biscuits works with
the Rainforest Alliance. ra.org
View our certificate

Locally sourced

Wherever possible, we source raw materials and ingredients from the UK, supporting our economy and other UK businesses.

Nut free

We are a nut free site.