Sustainable Beekeeping

When we talk about sustainability, we’re referring to how we keep bees.

Our approach is low-intervention and bee-led, designed to allow colonies to behave as naturally as possible. We prioritise observation over routine disturbance, give colonies the space they need to organise themselves, and allow them to renew and reproduce naturally over time.

We produce honey only from our own colonies, kept in one place, within the Ashdown Forest landscape. This keeps production transparent, traceable, and closely tied to local conditions.

We value the welfare of our bees over the volume of honey they produce. We believe this approach supports resilient colonies and is reflected in the character of the honey.

Below are the key ways our approach to beekeeping differs from more conventional methods ;

1. Naturally raised queens

Our colonies raise their own queens. We do not use imported or commercially produced queens.

Allowing bees to select and raise queens themselves supports natural adaptation to local conditions, forage, and challenges. It also avoids introducing external stock into a closed, local system.

This approach prioritises long-term resilience over uniformity or convenience.

2. More space to live naturally

In the wild, honeybee colonies organise their nests with more space than is typically allowed in modern hives.

In our hives, we increase internal spacing to better reflect these natural conditions. This gives colonies more room to organise themselves, rather than being tightly constrained by hive design.

The aim is to create a stable, low-stress environment that allows bees to function as a coherent whole.

3. Male bees are part of a normal colony

Male bees play a role in natural reproduction and are a normal part of a healthy colony.

In our hives, colonies are allowed to raise male bees whenever they choose. We provide the space needed for this, rather than managing colonies purely around honey production.

This supports a more balanced and natural colony structure.

4. Minimal disruption and external observation

We avoid routine hive inspections. Colonies are opened only when there is a clear reason.

Opening a hive disrupts the internal structure of the nest, releases heat and scent, and interrupts how the colony is organised. Honeybee colonies rely on continuity and stable internal cues over time.

Instead, we spend time observing colonies from the outside — watching flight activity, behaviour at the entrance, and seasonal patterns. This allows us to understand colony condition while keeping disruption to a minimum.

5. No physical interference with reproduction

Colonies are allowed to reproduce and renew themselves naturally.

Queens do not have their wings clipped, and developing queens are not routinely removed. This means colonies are free to swarm and replace queens as part of their natural life cycle.

Reproduction is managed by the bees themselves, rather than being physically controlled.

6. A closed, local system

All of our honey is produced by us, from our own colonies, kept in one place, at our apiary in the heart of Ashdown Forest.

Our bees forage naturally on local wildflowers, hedgerows, woodland, and heathland within the surrounding landscape.

Colonies are never moved or hired out for commercial crop pollination.

This reduces exposure to intensive agricultural environments and limits contact with agricultural chemicals. It also keeps production closely tied to local forage and seasonal conditions.

We do not buy honey from elsewhere to package or sell, and we do not supply our honey to be sold under other brands. This keeps production transparent, traceable, and locally contained.