A Sweet Success: The Story Behind Tibbenham Chocolates
16 Mar 2026
News
For Michelle Hill, founder of Barboursville-based Tibbenham Chocolates, a childhood love of chocolate-covered cherries turned into a decades-long pursuit of the perfect recipe and, eventually, a sweet business idea.
“I loved cordials as a kid; Queen Anne’s was a go-to,” Hill said. “I became a bit of a mad scientist in the kitchen, trying to make the confection myself.”
Using friends and family as taste testers, Hill spent years experimenting with recipes, trying different chocolate manufacturers, cherry suppliers, and cream brands to create the ideal confection. In 1999, she finally found the winning combination.
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