Questions
Your questions about raw honey and our hives.
Anything missing? Write or ring the honey house and one of us will answer.
The honey
Is your honey raw?
Yes. It is spun or pressed from the comb, passed once through a coarse stainless strainer and jarred. It is never heated above 35 °C, the temperature inside the hive, and never fine-filtered, so pollen stays in.
Why has my honey gone solid?
That is granulation, and it is a sign of raw honey, not a fault. Stand the jar in warm (not hot) water for twenty minutes and it runs again. Heather and ivy set on purpose and are meant to stay that way.
Is honey safe for everyone?
Not for babies under twelve months, whose gut cannot yet deal with the spores raw honey can carry. For everyone else it is a food like any other; ask your doctor if you are unsure.
Why does each jar name an apiary?
Because we never blend across sites. Honey from the moor, the orchards and the leys tastes different, and we would rather you knew which one you liked.
Orders and the club
How quickly do you ship, and what does it cost?
Orders placed before 1 pm on a weekday leave the same day by tracked post. Delivery is £4.50 anywhere in mainland UK, and free on orders over £35.
Can I pause or cancel the honey club?
Any time, from the link in every dispatch email. There is no minimum term. Pause for a month while you are away and the next jar simply waits for you.
Do you sell wholesale to shops and cafés?
Yes, in cases of six and in 6 kg catering tubs. Write to us with what you need and we send the trade list the same week.
Can I send honey as a gift?
Yes. Choose a delivery date at checkout and add a note; we write it by hand on a card and leave the price out of the box.
Pollination hire
How far do you travel with pollination colonies?
Up to 40 miles from Thurlbeck with delivery and collection included. Further than that we charge £1.20 a mile each way, and quote it before you book.
What if the weather ruins the set?
We guarantee the number of colonies, their strength on arrival, weekly inspection and removal on your date. No beekeeper can honestly guarantee a yield.
Who keeps the honey made on my crop?
It stays with the colonies and comes home with us, unless you ask for it before the hives go out; then we price the contract differently.
Visiting
Can I visit the honey house?
The shop is open Thursday to Saturday, 9 to 4, and you can taste every honey on the counter. Apiary visits run on summer Saturdays for honey club members.
Ask the people who lift the frames.
We answer every email ourselves, usually the same day.