Buying by the bucket

[Paulypaul]

I have a background in ecommerce, and have built a simple online store where I'm selling my honey, and am also selling to a local grocers.

At this rate, I'll have sold all my honey in 2 months.

I'm keen to be a reliable source of honey. To achieve this, I'll need to buy it in bulk, from local keepers and resell. I'll rebrand it accordingly.

What's the going rate for bulk honey, by the pound/kilo?
Thanks.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have a background in ecommerce, and have built a simple online store where I'm selling my honey, and am also selling to a local grocers.

At this rate, I'll have sold all my honey in 2 months.

I'm keen to be a reliable source of honey. To achieve this, I'll need to buy it in bulk, from local keepers and resell. I'll rebrand it accordingly.

What's the going rate for bulk honey, by the pound/kilo?
Thanks.

Price for a bucket would be between £3 & £3.50lb I think.

 

[Erichalfbee]

Mine go at £3.50

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I have a background in ecommerce, and have built a simple online store where I'm selling my honey, and am also selling to a local grocers.

At this rate, I'll have sold all my honey in 2 months.

I'm keen to be a reliable source of honey. To achieve this, I'll need to buy it in bulk, from local keepers and resell. I'll rebrand it accordingly.

What's the going rate for bulk honey, by the pound/kilo?
Thanks.

remember as well, your status would shift from primary producer to honey packer with all the extra EH hoops you may have to jump through.

 

[pargyle]

remember as well, your status would shift from primary producer to honey packer with all the extra EH hoops you may have to jump through.

Or do what I've found some less than scrupulous scrotes do .. buy it in and then pretend it's their honey and label accordingly ... avoiding all the hoops. Not saying that's right and I'd never do it ...

 

[Andy]

remember as well, your status would shift from primary producer to honey packer with all the extra EH hoops you may have to jump through.

It's funny that. I was reading the EU legislation which is retained in the UK after reading this thread..

The regulations (842/2004,853/2004 shall not apply when

the direct supply, by the producer, of small quantities of primary products to the final consumer or to local retail establishments directly supplying the final consumer;

So I read that statement that if I sell my honey in a bucket to a local retail establishment that directly supplies to the final consumer then that is ok. They can jar it and sell it directly. What they can't do is sell it to other retailers to sell. So if PaulyPaul is only selling directly to consumers that is ok. Selling other peoples honey to shops is not.

So for PaulyPaul, sell your honey to the shops and sell the bulk honey to customers? The tricky bit is the definition of a local retail establishment and whether you fit that definition.

From EU 178/2002
7.‘retail’ means the handling and/or processing of food and its storage at the point of sale or delivery to the final consumer, and includes distribution terminals, catering operations, factory canteens, institutional catering, restaurants and other similar food service operations, shops, supermarket distribution centres and wholesale outlets;

I'm not an expert but like picking holes in these things. Just got a retraction from my council when I presented the base legislation on some stuff I'll post elsewhere for peoples knowledge on the complexities of private water supplies.

 

[Mint Bee]

I have a background in ecommerce, and have built a simple online store where I'm selling my honey, and am also selling to a local grocers.

At this rate, I'll have sold all my honey in 2 months.

I'm keen to be a reliable source of honey. To achieve this, I'll need to buy it in bulk, from local keepers and resell. I'll rebrand it accordingly.

What's the going rate for bulk honey, by the pound/kilo?
Thanks.

The advice I took from here a few years ago was to make sure that you had at least a years supply in stock to meet expected demand. It covers for a poor season and enables continuous supply to customers. 2022 was a mad year and I produced a mountain of honey which I've only just finished off loading. Last 2 years produced roughly half the amount, with very little / no spring crop. My local BKA was selling off the remains of the 2023 harvest earlier in the year to make was for the 2024 crop. IMO crazy, but you might find local BKAs have a surplus you could tap into.

 

[fian]

There is another option:
Once your honey is gone, just forward your customer's order to another beekeeper whenever he is willing.
The customer will be grateful and will experience that local honeys of similar quality taste different. The following year, send a notification again so they know they can purchase your product with the new harvest.

 

[Mint Bee]

There is another option:
Once your honey is gone, just forward your customer's order to another beekeeper whenever he is willing.
The customer will be grateful and will experience that local honeys of similar quality taste different. The following year, send a notification again so they know they can purchase your product with the new harvest.

Really? Sounds a bit naïve to me. "I can supply for 3 months and then this other guy can give you a continuous supply for the rest of the year, but I expect you to buy my honey when I make some more'......