'It's a labour of love': A beekeeper explains his passion for the craft

Beekeeping started off as a curiosity and became a bit of an obsession, if I’m honest. The more I learned about bees, the more I wanted to know. There’s a lot of craft involved in looking after bees and how to handle them. You need to learn how they communicate, how they live and work together in different roles, how they adapt to the seasons, the cycle of how they reproduce. You also need to know practical things such as how to assemble a hive and make sure the beeswax is kept in good condition.

My beehives are in central and east London, and I work with other beekeepers who have hives across the city. A lot of people think of making honey as a rural craft, not something that can happen in a major city. To say this is a product of London – and a very specific location within it – makes it even more special. The flavour always depends on what grows in the area: different types of plants, flowers and trees. Here, there are plants from all over the world and the nectar produced by them combines to make very specific flavours.

A beekeeper’s skill involves watching the seasons and the weather, trying to get a read on what’s going on. After winter, the bees start to become a bit more active. If the days get warmer and longer, the queen bee starts laying eggs and the population can increase quite rapidly, so we might build extra space inside the hives if necessary. We inspect the hive usually every week to 10 days because things can move quickly. Sometimes there’s a problem if the queen isn’t laying enough or if there isn’t enough food out there. It’s also a question of making sure that the bees are healthy and not being affected by diseases or pests.

The end of summer is typically when we harvest the honey. The process is a labour of love. We assess how much is in the hive, and how much the bees may need for the winter. Sometimes I won’t harvest at all if there’s not enough in there. Then the frames from within the hive are spun in a big centrifuge, and the honey is collected at the bottom. The type of honey we make is raw, so then it’s just about filtering it and putting it into a jar.

Over winter you don’t open up the hives for a good few months because it’s too cold. The first time you do, there’s a little bit of trepidation over whether the bees have managed to survive. It’s a bit of a rollercoaster and it can be upsetting if things are going badly. If the bees have made it, there’s an enjoyment that comes from nurturing them, seeing them grow and progress.

The reality is they look after themselves. I’m just there to tweak a few bits and pieces. They’re so clever. They know what to do.

pearlyqueenhoney.com