How Much is Your Honey?

[milkermel]

I have heard some people boast about how they sold out of their large store of honey in 4 weeks - then found out they were selling it at £3 lb personally I would prefer to have it longer and get £5 took my first jars to a car boot the other day - I had a couple of people pull a face at £5 but my 9 jars have all sold.

Personally I feel that anything less than £5 is an insult to the work that goes into it.

 

[Arfermo]

Could you tell us how you work that out?

Work what out? At £4 1 lb I make a handsome profit and I have records to prove it. However, as I'm not in it for a commercial purpose, it is enough for me.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

With only 4 lbs I'm open to offers around £25

 

[Polyanwood]

I wonder if you will be willing to let go of it all as if you got so little it will be super precious.

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

I wonder if you will be willing to let go of it all as if you got so little it will be super precious.

That's why it would be £25 (per jar) as opposed to £4. I'd keep a small one back for myself of course - academic though as no one in their right mind would want to pay that much

 

[MrB]

That's why it would be £25 (per jar) as opposed to £4. I'd keep a small one back for myself of course - academic though as no one in their right mind would want to pay that much

just today i have seen some manuka in boots (thats the chemist, not heavy footwear )for £22.
i was in there buying piriton!!

 

[milkermel]

last year when I had only a few jars of honey it was too precious to sell. the landlord had a jar (thankyou for letting me keep bees in garden!) Farmer friend who gave me a swarm and a couple of special close friends. Oh and I had 2 jars as well

 

[Recyclotron]

Historical Prices

I was once told that over the centuries the price of a pound of honey has tracked the pay for an hour for an agricultural labourer.

 

[MuswellMetro]

I was once told that over the centuries the price of a pound of honey has tracked the pay for an hour for an agricultural labourer.

so that is £6.91 per lb then

 

[richardbees]

recyclotron

"I was once told that over the centuries the price of a pound of honey has tracked the pay for an hour for an agricultural labourer."

Full marks that man!

That is an excellent piece of bee-lore to feed back into the bee-friendly National press!

 

[Repwoc]

Well known retailer sells at £7.50/12oz jar (£10/lb).

http://www.bees-online.co.uk/view.asp?ID=1217

 

[MuswellMetro]

I found a garden centre shop selling in north london "hertfordshire honey" at £4:00 a lb an another selling creamed Hertfordshire OSR honey at £2.99 for 12 oz

Almost like dumping the stuff if you take off the retailers mark up

 

[Monsieur Abeille]

Yet to see this one beaten - £70 for a nice jar of OSR

http://web.archive.org/web/20081204111030/http://www.cutcombhoney.co.uk/honey-in-jars.html

That was a couple of years back - their price is now a much more reasonable £12

http://www.cutcombhoney.co.uk/honey-in-jars.html

The beekeepers who actually produced the honey were slightly flabergasted when I showed them these adverts - they sell it for around £3

 

[gavin]

Here is what the East of Scotland BKA will be charging at their Flower Show stall in a fortnight:

Jars
Blossom 1lb £5.00
Blossom ½lb £2.90
Bell 1lb £6.25
Bell ½lb £3.60
Heather 1lb £6.65
Heather ½lb £4.00

Cut comb
Blossom 10g £0.20
Heather 10g £0.25

We are having a poor season (too dry for OSR, too wet after that) and especially so for the few who produce honey for sale so there will not be much on offer this year.

Gavin

 

[MandF]

I'm amazed that even associations dont feel they can increase their price when they have a poor season - supply & demand and all that!?

Anyhow, I have one question - do you guys generally charge more for set honey?

 

[gavin]

We increased the prices last year I think, and this year the punters are having a season as poor as the bees!

Our OSR gets lumped in with blossom - no price differential for set or runny.

 

[greatbritishhoney]

It's true that honey prices have to rise and fall depending on how good a year it has been, but it's a very fine line to tread. Low prices undermine the market in general but, if you set your price too high, people won't buy it.
Yes, supply and demand is important, but people can and will go to the supermarket and buy cheap imported honey if you price them out of the market. People's principles often only extend as far as their budget - that's human nature.

 

[MandF]

It's true that honey prices have to rise and fall depending on how good a year it has been, but it's a very fine line to tread. Low prices undermine the market in general but, if you set your price too high, people won't buy it.
Yes, supply and demand is important, but people can and will go to the supermarket and buy cheap imported honey if you price them out of the market. People's principles often only extend as far as their budget - that's human nature.

I dont think as an association you could necessarily hike prices by £2/lb in one year, as you'd have returning customers who would think you are taking the p...

But I dont think £1 /lb would be seen as unreasonable, and how many people going to an open day would pay £5 /lb but walk away at £6 /lb?

I agree to some extent if you were selling your honey via a farm shop.

In this market place I think the supply side of the equation is more important - the market for local honey is not particularly price elastic - people are buying local honey for reasons other than its price and are happy to pay a premium. On the supply side, if you have 300/lb to sell, then you might want to sell your honey at a lower price to attract customers to your honey as opposed to someone elses local honey, or do offers for multiples and so on. If you dont have much to sell, then why not stick to a premium price for a premium product?

 

[drstitson]

"just today i have seen some manuka in boots (thats the chemist, not heavy footwear) for £22. i was in there buying piriton!!"

why so surprised - similar 4-5 fold mark up for that honey vs local stuff as for your branded anti-histamines vs pharmacologically identical generics!!!!

 

[djg]

so that is £6.91 per lb then

Unless you can find person who labours in the field for a Permiership football club, and tie the price of your pound of honey to his hourly wage !