Finest Cheshire Honey

Discover the exquisite taste of Finest Cheshire Honey. From classic wildflower honey to unique infused varieties, we offer a diverse selection to tantalise your taste buds. Each jar is carefully crafted to preserve the natural goodness and flavour of our locally sourced honey.

About Me 

My journey with honey bees began with what I thought was a simple pest control call-out for a wasp nest. The “pesky wasps” turned out to be honey bees—specifically scout bees from a swarm or an overcrowded hive, searching for a new cavity to occupy. Their chosen location was a bay window of my potential client’s property. Within minutes, two neighbours approached me after seeing my van, each convinced they also had a wasp nest. I explained what was actually happening and how I could help them all.

      At that time, I didn’t own any beekeeping equipment, though that quickly became a priority. I contacted a beekeeper who kindly loaned me a nucleus hive. The following day, the swarm arrived and moved into one of the bay windows. As an ex–builder’s labourer, I knew exactly how to access the bees inside the cavity. It was a slow and careful job, but I managed to remove them from their new home and place them safely into the hive. Everything went smoothly, and soon I had my first swarm of bees in a nucleus hive.

     I contacted the beekeeper who had loaned me the hive and took the bees over to him. He couldn’t believe the size of the swarm—one of the biggest he had ever seen. The next day, he invited me over to show me the hive’s progress. The bare wax frames had already been drawn out with fresh honeycomb, and the queen had even begun laying eggs. He gave me £120, and with that money I bought my first bee hive on eBay. That moment marked the true beginning of my beekeeping journey and a growing fascination with bees and their remarkable role in nature.

      I soon advertised myself as a swarm collector and ended that year with eight hives. The following year, I doubled my count to sixteen. By my third year, I was truly getting into the swing of things—I completed a beekeeping course and received my Basic Beekeeping Certificate. I finished that year with thirty-two hives. By year four, after several more swarm collections and adding honey bee removals from buildings to my pest control business, I had reached sixty-four hives. It had become much more than a hobby—I was now a bee farmer.

      Along the way, I’ve met several invaluable people. Bob Beards has been, and still is, my mentor. Unfortunately, due to ill health, Bob has had to give up his lifelong beekeeping hobby, something that saddens both him and me. I still call in for a brew whenever I’m nearby. I owe him so much; without his guidance and advice, I wouldn’t be where I am today in the beekeeping world. Thank you, Bob.

      Another go-to person has been Paul Beardsmore at Modern Beekeeping. When he’s not reading bedtime stories to his children, ice skating, or busy with his own bee-farming business, he always answers the phone! I now use only Bee Box Hives from Finland, purchased through Modern Beekeeping, and I’ve found them to be the best hives available. I’ve also had great support from other Cheshire beekeepers, including Steve Purkis, a fellow swarm collector who passes calls to me when he’s working away—or when the bees are too high up for his liking. Steve doesn’t do heights!