What a season its been!
23 November 2022
The last time I managed to put a message out was in August, and before that was April goes to show what a year it has been in terms of beekeeping. For those of you wishing more regular updates we are very sorry, its been very busy. Having been named as one of “the 33 best luxury foods to buy” in The Times as well as Richard appearing on James Martin’s Saturday Morning has helped us reach many parts of the world that would not otherwise know about us.
Here in Wales for a number of years our usual best time of the year weather wise is spring, but this summer has been exceptional. The beekeepers rule is within a three year period you will have a bad crop, an average crop and a good crop. Well we haven’t had a very good crop in Wales for many a year. We are used to having lower honey crops than our beekeeping colleagues in England, and certainly compared to mainland Europe. This is normal as, for better, we do get a lot of rain. This rain produces amazing wildflowers, but we do need some dry spells so that plants can develop nectar for the bees to collect. When it rains it usually either ‘knocks’ the nectar off or dilutes it making it harder for the bees. This year though it has been dryer and a beautiful summer. It was quite dry, but with the little rain we had compared to normal it created perfect conditions, so beekeepers in Wales have been finally rewarded with bumper crops and no exception to ours.
Why is nectar so important? Its what the bees collect to produce honey. Nectar can be as low as 20% sugar, mainly fructose and glucose of various quantities amongst some other sugars. Of course honey wouldn’t be honey if it were not for the bees to reduce the water content from around 80% down to about 16%. They do this by adding some enzymes and flapping their wings a lot. A hell of a lot!
Given the amount of honey produced we are now secure for the next 12 months for sure, and we are happy to offer 10% off for a limited time to share the joy. We recognise its tough out there at the moment, so this is our way to thank you our customers and nature. If you wish to use it, please put in BLKF22 into the discount code part of the checkout process.
We have tried to learn from previous Christmases too. For those eligible for FREE local deliveries there will be some additional dates available. Free deliveries in the area on two jars or more will take place on Wednesday the 30the of November, Wednesday the 7th, Thursday the 15th, and Wednesday the 21st of December. Those posting away will need to remember that we use Royal Mail so if your delivery is urgent please take note of any announced strike action which will be on the Royal Mail website.
Lastly, we have had a few enquiries asking where certain gift boxes have gone. The gift packs of honey called “The Mountain Selection”, “The Coastal Selection”, “The Wildflower Selection” and our “Great Taste Selection” are now back online, but you can always make your own custom made gift boxes too!
In case this may be the last update of the year, may I say thank you to all our customers who support us, we couldn’t do our work with the bees without you. We hope all of you, customers or not a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous new year from us all.
Dr Rhod
