Beekeeping and Honey
Discover beekeeping associations, local honey, beginner courses and practical ways to help bees across the UK. Sixpence Support UK is free to use, with no hidden costs. Products, training and services provided by other organisations may have charges.
Find local beekeepers
Contact your local association for beginner advice, practical sessions and information about nearby honey producers. Each national association lists its member associations on its own website.
Find a beekeeping association near you
England — British Beekeepers AssociationLocal affiliated associations
Scotland — Scottish Beekeepers AssociationMember associations
Wales — Welsh Beekeepers AssociationLocal associations
Northern Ireland — Ulster Beekeepers Association
Local honey and producers
Honey from UK beekeepers is sold through farm shops, markets and independent sellers. Different honey varieties have different flavours and textures, depending on the flowers the bees worked on. When you buy, ask where the honey was produced, and check delivery options and charges when buying online.
To find beekeepers near you, use the association links above and ask about local producers. The associations are membership organisations, not honey shops.
The links below are external commercial sellers. Sixpence Support UK has no affiliate partnership with them and has not vetted their products.
About the association — professional UK beekeeping and honey production
Bee Farmers AssociationBuy honey from this UK bee farm (external commercial seller)
The Bee Farmer
Starting beekeeping
Speak to an association and take a beginner course before buying bees. Ask about the time commitment through the year, where a hive could safely be kept, what equipment you need, what practical support is available and the ongoing costs. Course availability and prices vary; ask your local association what they charge.
Typical equipment includes protective clothing, a hive, frames and harvesting tools. Associations often run practical sessions where you can handle bees before committing.
These equipment suppliers set their own prices. Sixpence Support UK has no affiliate partnership with them.
Beekeeping equipment supplier
E.H. Thorne (Beehives Ltd)Beekeeping equipment supplier
Maisemore Apiaries
Honey bee swarms
If honey bees swarm, keep a safe distance and do not disturb or attempt to move the swarm yourself. A swarm of honey bees should be collected by someone experienced.
Honey bee swarm collection finder; for other areas, ask the associations listed above
BBKA — Find a local swarm collector
For Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, contact the appropriate association listed above. BBKA volunteers assist with honey bee swarms, not wasps, bumblebees or established colonies inside buildings, and they may ask for travel expenses. If bees, wasps or other insects have established a nest inside a building, you may need a paid pest-control or specialist removal service instead of a volunteer swarm collector.
Helping bees
You do not need a hive to help pollinators. Grow nectar- and pollen-rich flowers so something is in bloom through the seasons, leave some lawn flowers such as daisies and clover, and avoid using pesticides where you can.
Research-backed plant lists that provide nectar and pollen through the seasons
RHS — Plants for PollinatorsHow to welcome and support bees in a garden
RHS — Bees in your garden
Are you a beekeeper or honey producer?
Are you a UK beekeeper or honey producer? Contact help@sixpencesupportuk.org to ask about a free listing. If you would like to support Sixpence Support UK, a voluntary donation is welcome. Donating is optional and is not a condition of being listed.
Support Our WorkCharges and independence
Sixpence Support UK provides information and links. We do not sell honey, equipment or courses, and we do not vet individual sellers or associations. External providers set their own charges — check their websites for current prices and availability.