Thursday 17 September 2015

Not so busy bees, reports Haughton Honey

This years honey harvest is likely to be about a third of the size of last years crop after poor weather affected nectar flow, says bee farmer Cris Reeves.
Wet weather and cooler temperatures during key times of nectar production over the spring and summer have led to a dramatic drop in the amount of honey harvested across the country this season.
But stocks of Haughton Honey remain buoyant thanks to a bumper honey harvest in 2014 and the cooperatives approximate 1,600 hives spread across the North West and the Midlands, including Cheshire, Staffordshire, Shropshire and Warwickshire says Cris.
The honey crop can fluctuate quite widely from one year to the next and, in the main, its all down to the weather,he explained. 2013 was an atrocious year as we had a very long winter and spring never really got going. Last year was really very good by comparison. Bee farmers that contribute to the Haughton Honey brand harvested more than 24,000 kilos of honey during 2014. This year, however, it looks like these hives will produce little over 10,000 kilos – significantly less than half of what was collected last year. After talking to bee farmers across the country, it looks likely that the honey harvest generally could be around a third of last year’s crop. Matters could become very seriously compounded if next year turns out to be similar to this one though.
We have enough volume to supply our existing customers and take on new ones, but were hoping that next year proves to be a better year weather-wise for the bees and for the livelihood of bee farmers, who play an extremely important role within the natural ecosystem and who receive no farming subsidies from the European Union.”
Honey bees collect nectar to deposit into honeycomb cells before it is turned into honey, so adverse weather at key times of nectar production impacts on the amount of honey available in a season.
Cris launched Haughton Honey last year and supplies more than 60 stores, currently across the North West and the Midlands but with plans to expand throughout the UK.
Although the honey harvest has dropped dramatically and there is likely to be less of a honey harvest across much of England, he and his fellow bee farmers hope that this wont lead to a shortage of British honey as stocks from last year were high. Honey is the only food product that doesnt deteriorate over time, added Cris, who has been a bee farmer for more than ten years.
“Were still processing, but there definitely wont be anywhere near as much English honey around this season as a result of the weather,said Cris. News in the South East is slightly better, but across most of the UK including the North West, Midlands, South West, Wales and other areas its been a similar picture.”
Poly-floral, or wildflower honey, is harvested twice a year – usually during May and August.
Haughton Honey is raw honey which comes straight from the hive, is cold extracted and never pasteurised which means that it retains all of the natural enzymes and proteins that make English honey so special. Haughton Honey is 100% natural and pure, and features traces of dandelion, chestnut, blackberry, clover and other wildflowers.
Earlier this year, Haughton Honey was named as one of ten short-listed products in the sweet preserves category of the Great British Food Farm Produce Awards 2015, run by Great British Food Magazine.
For more details visit www.haughtonhoney.com
Press release issued by Nottingham company Perfect 10 PR www.perfect10pr.co.uk