The largest most extensive honey show in the UK is here!

The National Honey Show 29th October - 31st October at St George's College, Weybridge Road, Addlestone, Surrey KT15 2QS. Celebrating it’s 84th year.

This is the show for professional honey exhibitors, honey shops, and beekeepers from all over the world who flock here for the chance to win one of the many silver cups steeped in history and tradition. Wednesday night people from all over lined up to check in their honeys for the competition. We were one of those in line. Yesterday was the official first day and the winners will be revealed.

The show caters for all interested in honey, bees and beekeeping. There are trade stands selling beekeeping equipment, giftware and more. Lectures are timed throughout the day with restaurant facilities to relax and catch your breath. The halls are filled with hundreds of jars of gleaming honeys in amazing colours and textures. There are 252 entry classes ranging from comb honey, beeswax, decorative exhibits, practical invention, honey beer, meads, just far to many to name here. This event attracts the best beekeepers serious about competing. It’s no wonder we were sweating after we prepared and handed over our entries. All will be revealed shortly. Fingers crossed.

So make a beeline to this annual event not to be missed.

Opening Times
Thursday 29th October: Lectures and Restaurant - 09:00 - 18:00
Trade Show - 12:00 - 18:00, Honey Show - 14:00 - 18:00
Friday 30th October: Lectures, Restaurant, Trade Show and Honey Show - 09:00 - 18:00
Saturday 31st October: Lectures, Restaurant, Trade Show and Honey Show - 09:00 - 16:30

Admission
Daily admission £15.00 for non–members which can only be purchase at the show.

Purchase Membership £15.00 - members are entitled to FREE admission for all three days.

Accompanied children, 16 yrs and under, FREE.

Trade Show
The public can buy beekeeping equipment from the trade show located in the college's sports hall and Woburn hall from 12:00 on Thursday 29th October 2015. The public have free admission to the trade show over the three days (see opening times).

NHS History
The first ‘National Show of Bees & Honey’ was held in 1923 at the original Crystal Palace, Sydenham, London. There were no shows during the period of the Second World War. The show continues to be held each year in October.

The Crystal Palace Cup
The trustees of the Crystal Palace generously offered a cup for competition and the show was held annually at the Crystal Palace until 1936. Within a month of that show a fire completely destroyed our equipment and the whole building.

Then the class was for 12 sections, 12 jars each of light, medium, dark or granulated honey and 1lb of beeswax. By 1929 it was awarded to individuals and required 6 jars (in pairs of light, medium, dark or granulated) and 2 sections. In 1931 the class was altered again to 9 jars and 3 sections. The present class 4 was created in 1948 to jars (3 each of light, medium and naturally crystallised) and 1 shallow frame of honey for extraction.

The first winners of the cup in 1923 were Medway & County BKA (Kent). There have, however, been several notable winners of the cup who have taken it on more than one occasion. Whilst it was still an Association trophy until 1929, Gloucester BKA won it on three occasions in 1925/27. Individuals who have won it on three or more occasions include Wessex Apiaries (1947/9), John Sturdy (1962/4), John Read (4 times 1965/8), John Ramsey (1971/2 & 1974), Mr & Mrs Jim Orton (1976/7 & 1980).

The most outstanding winner to date is the late Mr Jim Watson of Warwickshire who won the cup on ten occasions, in 1973, 1975, 1981, and then for seven successive years 1983/89. Whether this achievement will ever be surpassed, we can only wait and see.

The prize money for the cup has been endowed in Jim’s memory for 25 years by the Warwickshire BKA.

Twitter Prize Draw Winner picks up her hamper!

Heres a photo from last night when Jess, Twitter Prize Draw Winner picked up her free £50 luxury honey hamper. She was VERY pleased! Keep and eye on both our twitter and Facebook sites for more free honey, gift give aways.
@hivehoneyshop

We hosted the Chilean Beekeepers Assco Today

We had the pleasure today of collaborating with the head of the Chilean Beekeepers Assco, ‘Colmenas De Aconcagua’, Mrs Ana Maria Barrera and Luis Vargas consultant for South Pacific Bees in Chile.  Luis contacted The Hive Honey Shop as he had heard we are the top honey shop in the UK. Luis and Ana are working together with the Chilean Beekeepers network and the Chilean government, who are supporting their countries beekeepers with product development, research and exporting opportunities.  Wish the UK would learn from Chile and support our beekeepers here.

South Pacific Bees, the trading name for the European leg of Colmenas De Aconcagua are developing honey products and researching into the therapeutic properties of their local Chilean honeys similar to Manuka. Due to the extremely high price that Manuka now fetches, under the complete support and backing from the New Zealand government, it is no surprise that Chile have woken up to this business model.

I was introduced to Ana Maria Barrera, manager of the Colmenas De Aconcagua beekeeping association with 500+ members. Ana’s husband Jose Luis Arias is president and has over 1000 production hives. The total number of beekeepers in Chile is 4,500. The requirement to be considered a beekeeper within this statistic is that you run 20 or more hives. 

The task today was to see if a new prototype honey product would appeal to the UK market. We set up a table and market research was carried out. At present South Pacific Bees, the trading name for the European market, have teamed up with a large company in China. Together they will explore the potential of creating a similar honey to Manuka once all the research data is confirmed.

The location of Colmenas De Aconcagua in Aconcagua valley, gives it a comparative advantage of high interest, because the Andes mountain range acts as a natural barrier against pollution risks, providing a mild climate that allows for healthy, disease-free bees and honey. Some of the mono floral honey they gather are: Soapstone, Avocado, Tebo and native flora and fauna. Chiles land mass is boxed in on all sides by natural barriers such as the Atacama Desert which is a plateau in South America, covering a 1,000-kilometre (600 mi) strip of land on the Pacific coast, west of the Andes mountains. It is the driest non-polar desert in the world. Charles Darwin came to the point where “the desert of Atacama commences, where nothing can exist.” Considered the driest place on Earth. I was told by Luis no bacteria can live there. Also with the Pacific ocean as a barrier they are pretty well protected. Great place for beekeeping.

The market research was a success and Ana made a gift to us of a number of their special honeys. Ulmo Honey, which is very light in colour, has high anti bacterial properties like Manuka. Currently the largest university in Chile is conducting research that will be of great interest.  Quillay honey, dark med in colour has antioxidant properties of significant value. 

We were very please to help in their venture contributing to the quality of life for their people and their commitment towards society and the environment.

Great day!

James Hamill

Expert beekeeper,The Hive Honey Shop-London

The Hive Honey Shop- Honey Winner at yesterdays London Honey Show!

It was a great turn out at the London Honey Show despite the London Half Marathon taking place at the same time. I got detoured away for a fun three hour nightmare journey, which normally only takes 40 minutes from Battersea.

My son Max, forth generation beekeeper, was with me for support and to help set up our display of rare beehives collected during my beekeeping journeys around the world. Being so late to arrive meant that my guest talk, “Tales of beekeeping from around the world” was rescheduled for 1:30pm and Hanna Reeves jumped in and did her talk on, ”Experiences of an apprentice bee farmer”.

It gave me a chance to catch my breath, grab a cup of coffee and get my honey entries in before the deadline, just in time. I wandered around the hall and took in all the trade stands, food stands and DIY bee crafts. It was a great atmosphere, giving many beekeepers a chance to meet up again, exchange beekeeping tales both good and bad.

Ms Jo Hemesley, Assistant Director of Sales for the Lancaster London and her team made this event happen. It has a lighthearted family feel to this show. A gentle build up to the very competitive National Honey Show taking place on October 29th-31st.

My talk was well attended and my power point slide show did not fail me (as in the past). Lots of questions at the end of the talk, which I love, as it gives me a chance to bounce off the audience. 

And the icing on the cake is that we won first prize for the “Best Rooftop Honey” and second place for “Business \Education Site”. So special was my winning rooftop honey that someone”lifted” it from the show. So I will be keeping an eye out that it does not show up entered in The National Honey Show!

Great show at a lovely venue! Here are some photos from the day.

Best regards

James Hamill
Head Beekeeper for The Hive Honey Shop

The judging was fierce!

James's Talk

Some of our international beehives on display

Our Honey Wins!!

Meet James, Our Head Beekeeper, Guest Speaker at The London Honey Show, this Sunday!

James Hamill who was awarded London Beekeeper of The Year by The London Honey Show, has been asked to be one of their guest speakers at this years show. So don’t miss a change to hear about his beekeeping travels around the world and see some of his international collection of beehives. They will be on display at the show.

The London Honey Show will be back in town on the 11th October 2015 from 11 am to 4 pm. £1 entry for charity, children free. Address:  Lancaster London Westbourne Suite, Lancaster Terrace, London  W2 2TY To find out more by visiting their site.

the link to the show is: http://www.londonbees.com

the link the the guest speakers page is: http://www.londonbees.com/speakers/

Beekeepers Bio:

James Hamill - Professional Beekeeper

James Hamill has been instrumental in tirelessly publicising and encouraging Londoners to keep their own bees for over twenty-five years now. James has been a beekeeper since the age of five, a third generation beekeeper, and this enthusiasm for bees and beekeeping is still infectious. James is the head beekeeper for The Hive Honey Shop in Battersea London, maintaining over 100 beehives in London and the countryside. www.thehivehoneyshop.co.uk.

James pioneered the first rooftop and attic beehives in Clapham, installing the largest indoor observation hive with the longest access to the world. He travels around the world working and consulting beekeepers in ways to manage and support their bees in healthy and safe ways. James has been teaching adult beekeeping courses since 1990 and is a past winner of the title 'London Beekeeper of The Year'.

James is a great ambassador for London Honey. He has been interviewed by several trade papers, magazines, TV, and media interviews over the years, always of the opinion that London honey is the one of BEST!