Hive product pricing

[Stedic]

I've got my first crop of honey jarred up and some wax melted down. The farm where I keep my bees sell organic vegetable boxes locally and are VERY keen to sell my honey but what some guidance on price.

I've gone for 1/2lb octagonal jars which I think look pretty good. I reckon my costs per jar are around £0.75p. What would you sell them for? I had heard £5/lb was the going rate but would hope for a little more than £2.50/jar.

I've melted a bit of wax down too and have had some interest in selling that in 1oz bars. Again though I don't really know what the going rate is in small quantities.

Any guidance?

 

[Beagle23]

I've got my first crop of honey jarred up and some wax melted down. The farm where I keep my bees sell organic vegetable boxes locally and are VERY keen to sell my honey but what some guidance on price.

I've gone for 1/2lb octagonal jars which I think look pretty good. I reckon my costs per jar are around £0.75p. What would you sell them for? I had heard £5/lb was the going rate but would hope for a little more than £2.50/jar.

I've melted a bit of wax down too and have had some interest in selling that in 1oz bars. Again though I don't really know what the going rate is in small quantities.

Any guidance?

You'll get better advice than mine, but just as an observation. I was in Horsham market last Saturday visiting a friend who owns a stall there. On one of the adjacent stalls there was a guy selling 1/2 lb jars for £5.5, he told me he'd shifted 30 jars and that was at about 4pm.

I also saw some at the Surbiton farmers market last month for £6.20 a jar.

£5 feels about right when you take out the 'Surrey' premium

 

[Poly Hive]

Alos heard of a "person" selling pounds locally at a market at £2 a pound..... Uh huh!

Realistically you are looking at getting from the shop £3-50 if they price it at £5.

Offer them sale or return as that eases their worries about getting stuck with stock. I always went that route and it paid off in spades.

PH

 

[B+.]

Realistically you are looking at getting from the shop £3-50 if they price it at £5.
PH

I was selling it in 1lb jars by the case to my local garden centre at £4.50 about 10 years ago. They were selling around £8.50. If they have a steady stream of well-off customers, a retail outlet will take all you can produce

 

[enrico]

It's local honey, market it nicely and half a pound will easily fetch 4 pounds
E

 

[Uncle Betty]

I've got my first crop of honey jarred up and some wax melted down. The farm where I keep my bees sell organic vegetable boxes locally and are VERY keen to sell my honey but what some guidance on price.

I've gone for 1/2lb octagonal jars which I think look pretty good. I reckon my costs per jar are around £0.75p. What would you sell them for? I had heard £5/lb was the going rate but would hope for a little more than £2.50/jar.

I've melted a bit of wax down too and have had some interest in selling that in 1oz bars. Again though I don't really know what the going rate is in small quantities.

Any guidance?

There's no going rate, as Fortnum and Mason know very well. Have you fished around your local area, health shops, farmers' markets and so on ?

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Leicester Wholefoods retail 340g/12oz of English Clear Honey for £5.61.

https://wholefoodcoop.co.uk/products/english-clear-honey

Which is £7.48 per pound.

Less their margin, say 30% for the sake of conversation, gives £5.75 per pound to you.

You should expect more than half of that, for a half lb.

And a bit more again for the attractiveness of 'Local', as enrico says.

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But that's just figures. It's what the market can bear.

 

[Stedic]

Thanks.

I don't think a lack of custom will be an issue. The customer base is ideal. I think lack of supply might be my issue, although of course that is an excellent excuse for more hives.

These are not hard nosed business women so a friendly agreement can be reached. I will suggest they try selling at £5 a jar, which feels a bit steep but might work, and see how sales go.

£3 coming my way would cover the jars and a bit of hive maintenance/foundation buying etc. I'm happy to sacrifice 'profit' for the convenience of not having to store it all etc. They're good to the bees too, they leave an acre of wildflower meadow each year, delay grass cutting if bees are on the clover etc etc.

 

[Uncle Betty]

Thanks.

I don't think a lack of custom will be an issue. The customer base is ideal. I think lack of supply might be my issue, although of course that is an excellent excuse for more hives.

These are not hard nosed business women so a friendly agreement can be reached. I will suggest they try selling at £5 a jar, which feels a bit steep but might work, and see how sales go.

£3 coming my way would cover the jars and a bit of hive maintenance/foundation buying etc. I'm happy to sacrifice 'profit' for the convenience of not having to store it all etc. They're good to the bees too, they leave an acre of wildflower meadow each year, delay grass cutting if bees are on the clover etc etc.

If they give you three and sell for five, that's a 67% mark up ! A lot of hard-nosed business women would love some of that action.

But it sounds like you have a really nice situation with these people, and that is priceless.

Good luck.

 

[charlievictorbravo]

Last year's was the first year I had a decent honey harvest. I sell it retail at £5 for 240g and wholesale (10 jars) for £4. I sold out a month ago, so I think the price will go up if I get another decent harvest.

I think you should spent time and effort with an informative label - don't just provide the legal minimum. People will pay a premium price if they think they're getting a premium product. Price should not be based on cost.

CVB

 

[Stedic]

But it sounds like you have a really nice situation with these people, and that is priceless.

Yes, I've been very lucky. They are very happy to have the bees and see any honey as a bonus. They're not the least bit concerned if I lose a swarm on their land etc.

I think you should spent time and effort with an informative label - don't just provide the legal minimum. People will pay a premium price if they think they're getting a premium product. Price should not be based on cost. CVB

I have a little cunning plan. I've taken the time to label the product nicely and I feel that I can probably build a relationship with the customers by providing a little extra info here and there.

 

[yeogi75]

There's no going rate, as Fortnum and Mason know very well. Have you fished around your local area, health shops, farmers' markets and so on ?

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Leicester Wholefoods retail 340g/12oz of English Clear Honey for £5.61.

https://wholefoodcoop.co.uk/products/english-clear-honey

Which is £7.48 per pound.

Less their margin, say 30% for the sake of conversation, gives £5.75 per pound to you.

You should expect more than half of that, for a half lb.

And a bit more again for the attractiveness of 'Local', as enrico says.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

But that's just figures. It's what the market can bear.

and that isn't even Leicester honey, mine is £4.50 per 12oz jar

 

[enrico]

Deleted, wrong thread!
E