Belgian Buckfast

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Are Buckfast from Dartmoor the only Buckfast in the UK or are there Belgian Buckfast for comparison?

 

[MuswellMetro]

a good uk source is not readily avaialble

buckfast are more likely greek produced early Queens or ne europe such as belgium or islands off the coast

 

[MuswellMetro]

a good uk source is not readily avaialble

buckfast are more likely greek produced early Queens or ne europe such as belgium or islands off the coast

i should have added, Brother Adam Buckfast from Buckfast Abbey Dartmoor are nolonger avaiable

 

[drstitson]

Both HM on here & Ged Marshall source Danish BF breeder queens.

 

[RoofTops]

I've bought Buckfasts from Keld Branstrup in Denmark. He started with eggs from Buckfast but has continued to develop the strain. Regretably there are no more queens available from Buckfast Abbey.

He now has a new website - which is a bit of struggle to find your way round - but his bees are good but not exactly cheap. However, the price reflects the demand for his queens.

I was on my bike near Buckfast the other day. In the picture below you can see the tower of Buckfast Abbey. Bees a bit scarce but the weather might have played a part!

The industrial complex to the left where you can see a strip of grey and a chimney is where they make the Glaswegian's favourite drink - Buckfast Tonic Wine.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

Thank you. I have just had such good results from Belgian Buckfast imported through Canada with Ferguson.

 

[Midland Beek]

Buckfast is the name given to a strain of mixed-race bee that resembles the bees first bred by Bro Adam at Buckfast Abbey. No one really breeds these bees in the UK anymore, but instead buys them from more reliable sources abroad. Greece is one source of Buckfast bees.

Bee breeding in the UK is plagued by problems - poor weather and lack of isolation being the main two.

Importing bees from either Canada or the USA into the UK is currently illegal, but like I siad there are other sources.

 

[AmericasBeekeeper]

I can understand the lack of isolation. I do not currently live on an island. Migratory beekeepers bring their bees and problems from all over the U.S. to Florida. We have some Africanized (scutellata) bees that are not very nice to work. We have every climate except cold in Florida.

 

[Midland Beek]

I was on my bike near Buckfast the other day. In the picture below you can see the tower of Buckfast Abbey.

Ever been down pit lad? No. But I've stroked pit pony.

 

[Stiffy]

Buckfast is the name given to a strain of mixed-race bee that resembles the bees first bred by Bro Adam at Buckfast Abbey. No one really breeds these bees in the UK anymore, but instead buys them from more reliable sources abroad. Greece is one source of Buckfast bees.

Bee breeding in the UK is plagued by problems - poor weather and lack of isolation being the main two.

Importing bees from either Canada or the USA into the UK is currently illegal, but like I siad there are other sources.

Very exciting from Buckfast Bee forum

RE-ACTIVATION OF BROTHER ADAM’S MATING STATION ON DARTMOOR

The summer of 2012 will see the re-activation of Brother Adam’s isolated mating station on Dartmoor. After something over 80 years, Buckfast Abbey had decided to cease using the mating station. The Dartmoor mating station played an important part in the development of the Buckfast bee, its isolation and distance from other apiaries being critical. It would have been a terrible shame to allow this site to remain out of use, and for no Buckfast bees to be bred in the United Kingdom, which is their country of origin. The heritage left to beekeepers by Brother Adam and the work started by him must be continued.
So, permission and access was sought from the farmer of the land where the mating station is located to re-activate the famous mating station for the original use. In addition to this, the Abbot of Buckfast Abbey has graciously permitted the use of the Buckfast name for our queen bees, bred according to the selection methods and breeding tools taught to us by Brother Adam.

 

[Adam]

The industrial complex to the left where you can see a strip of grey and a chimney is where they make the Glaswegian's favourite drink - Buckfast Tonic Wine.

When I visited, they told me that it's now produced offsite by a volume brewery as it's more cost effective.

Adam

 

[Teemore]

I understand that Ged Marshall sends about 100 breeder Queens back to Denmark every year. Is this not an indication that a good quality of Queen can be bred and supplied from within the UK?

 

[wightbees]

The UK breeding buckfast program is going to start again.
The New beeks involved are very good and trusted by many I
Would say. I dont know much more but im sure it will be aired soon enough.

 

[Hivemaker.]

RE-ACTIVATION OF BROTHER ADAM’S MATING STATION ON DARTMOOR


I thought it would only be a matter of time before this reached the forum.

Because this business also directly involves two forum members,both Norton and myself, and we would need to get involved with replys to some posts...and this could be seen as a form of commercial advertising,so in respect of the forum rules,and before this goes any further, i have decided to lock this thread, and would very much appreciate it if no other threads are started on this subject. Thank you.