Our bees
We began our beekeeping journey around ten years ago, and it has been a continual process of learning, refinement, and deep appreciation for the natural world. Beekeeping is anything but simple, yet it is profoundly rewarding. As ethical beekeepers, we place the wellbeing of our bees at the heart of everything we do, ensuring they are always cared for with respect and consideration.
We lovingly manage two apiaries. One is nestled within a tranquil woodland clearing beside a quiet fishing lake, where the surrounding land is being restored with native plant species providing abundant, diverse forage for our bees. The second sits within the breathtaking South Downs National Park near Alfriston, East Sussex, offering a beautifully wild and varied landscape in which our hives naturally flourish.
Our bees are active from February, when the Queens begin laying, through to October, depending on the weather. During the summer months, after tending the hives, we often pause by the lake with a cup of tea, taking a moment to enjoy the gentle hum of the landscape and the quiet companionship of the bees who inspire everything we create.
Bees are fundamental to the health of our ecosystem. Their pollination work supports the growth of countless plant species, including many that provide essential food for humans and wildlife. These remarkable insects are responsible for pollinating around one third of the food we eat, a testament to their extraordinary importance.
With more than 20,000 bee species found across the world, honeybees and bumblebees remain the most familiar. Despite their small size, their contribution is immense. A single honeybee will produce only around 1/12th of a teaspoon of honey in it’s lifetime, which typically spans just 6 weeks during the active season.
Bees communicate with one another through intricate dances and subtle pheromones, sharing detailed information about the location of valuable forage. Yet these vital pollinators face increasing threats. Habitat loss, pesticide exposure, and climate change are driving a concerning decline in bee populations, placing global biodiversity and food security at risk.
Protecting bees is not only essential, it’s a responsibility we all share.