Honey Blog #7
17 January 2026
Hello Honey Lovers!
Happy New Year to you all – and what a start to the year we are having with Storm Goretti welcoming us to 2026.
It has been absolutely miserable, and we have been out checking the hives, making sure they are securely strapped down, topping up the feed if they feel a bit light, and keeping entrances clear from snow. Apart from that, we can do nothing else but leave the bees alone and wish them well as they cluster to survive winter.
Last Tuesday, there was a break in the weather, so we went to visit a new apiary site for 2026 that we have managed to secure thanks to one of the local landowners on the other side of the village.
The beauty of this site is that the landowner is a real supporter of the natural world. He lets the fields around the site grow wild year-round, occasionally having some sheep round for a month or so for some conservation grazing. He plants a variety of trees on the land, which strengthens the resilience of the woodlands. He even sows his crops without using damaging, inorganic fertilisers and chemicals. He is also bringing a small lake back to life after years of neglect. All of this makes the site a home the bees will absolutely love, where they can forage on the wildflowers, trees, and hedgerows undisturbed—and this will keep our honey tasting fabulous!
So while winter grips the nation we are cracking on with all the other jobs we can get onto inside – cleaning existing equipment, buying what we will need for the new season, planning ahead for 2026 and which markets we will attend, speaking to possible new outlets who could stock our honey, and also looking at new product ranges such candles, soft set honey and so on.
We’d love to hear from you what you would like to see in our store. We take your suggestions seriously. One customer suggested honey gin and we investigated--nothing’s too much trouble for our customers! A local gin distillery 4 miles away explained (not necessarily over a few samples ;) why it would be difficult to get a decent recipe nailed on. Apparently, gins aren’t sweetened because sugars don’t carry through the distillation process. However, a honey vodka might work because the honey is added after the distillation process! Maybe…we shall see.
Anyway – onwards and upwards! It may be wet, windy, and miserable outside, but we are excited about the year ahead .Thank you for all the support you guys have given us and continue to do so!
See you out there someplace and don’t be shy, any thoughts or questions etc., send them over or tag us on social media, we always love hearing from you!
Roll on Spring!
Your beekeeper
Huw 🐝
