How much to charge for honey?

[cstroud]

Hi,
I would be interested to know how much beekeepers in the forum are charging for a pound jar of honey?

I am a hobby beekeeper, and therefore any excess honey I produce is a bonus, as I sell it to friends and family. Money is used to buy new bits of equipment etc. This said, keeping bees takes a lot of work and time. This year I charged £2.50 a jar, which know is way too cheap- not surprisingly i've sold most of my excess this year?

A local beekeeper I know was annoyed with another beekeeper locally for selling his honey too cheap. Some members of my association have increased the price of their honey to nearly £5 a jar. I think this is too much,and I know people would'nt pay that much where I live. but I will increase my price next year.

comments appreciated

 

[broandy]

I charge £ 5.00 per 1lb jar and I sell plenty

 

[VEG]

cstroud you are selling it way too cheap. Most around where I live sell at £2.40 per lb in 30lb buckets for bulk purchase. I sell mine at £4 lb and have sold loads allready.
By the time you pay for the jar and labels you are giving it away.

 

[cstroud]

Thats interesting. I thought £5 a jar was a 'London Price' but i'm obviously wrong and need to value my produce more. I probably guilty of charging too little for my produce and services all round!

Chris

 

[Poly Hive]

FWIW.

Dearest price I have seen is £11-99 in a Bee Farmers shop in Wales and that was over 18 months ago.

I am charging £4-50 for half pound cut combs.

I would think £4-50+ per pound of clean well presented blossom would be the floor price these days. Add a pound or so for heather.

PH

 

[thurrock bees]

Chris

how about putting a poll in your thread??

 

[stubee]

I charge £3.50 1lb jar,£4.00 8oz cut comb and £5.00 per section no complants on prices to date. Stubee

 

[MuswellMetro]

Thats interesting. I thought £5 a jar was a 'London Price' but i'm obviously wrong and need to value my produce more. I probably guilty of charging too little for my produce and services all round!

Chris

Nay Lad....London is much higher...£8 for 12oz...retail, in a fancy glass jar with a bit of ginham cloth tied on with string

http://www.thehivehoneyshop.co.uk/

or £6-£8 per jar from a beek

Me. well first year so....what honey

 

[victor meldrew]

Me. well first year so....what honey

Wait until next year You'll find yourself thinking "God all this damned honey handling is hard work" I think I'll take up Queen rearing .

John Wilkinson

 

[Busy Bee]

One of the failures in business is under charging, get with it, IT'S almost 2010. Honey is under supplied and I shall charge £6 per 1lb jar of honey next year, my honey only lasted 2 weeks at £5 and people whom purchased it said they would pay up to £10 per 1lb no problem.

Like charging £2.50 per jar, the mind boggles, all that work, "It would'nt pay for the winter feed".

Regards

Busy Bee

 

[thurrock bees]

i charge £4/ lb

 

[Black Comb]

Beeks around here charging £5.50 or £6.00 per lb at their door.

BTW cstroud, where are you? (in Stroud?)

 

[beebreeder]

The retail seems to vary wildly from region to region, in wiltshire we are all charging 4.50 ish a pound I know some people getting 5.50 and if you are selling wholesale they are retailing for up to 6.50 a 1Lb jar

 

[Chris B]

A lot of beekeepers have switched to 340g jars and they retail between 3.50 and 4.50.
I've made the switch except for a few old-time customers who specifically ask for a larger jar.

 

[milkermel]

Hi folk as a newbie (who doesnt except the title of bee keeper - bee watcher and helper maybee!) I have not been fortunate enough to harvest any honey this year, However my teacher did discuss prices with us on the course i did at begining of this year. All these posts are going on about hard work, but no one has mentioned the hard work carried out by the bees!!

Come on! lets show some respect for these insects, they not only produce us with honey - but in my case hours of entertainment and wonder. Anything under £5 is criminal. And I live in one of the poorest counties!

Next year IF i am fortunate i will be selling for £5 min as advised - If my bees do a good job for me

 

[dpearce4]

I have decided to sell mine at £4.99 for a 12oz/340g jar. I decided on this price when i saw in tesco they are selling tiptree english honey for the same price.

I know mine is as good or better than thiers so needs to be the same price.

I have found that people are willing to pay the price as long as you give them good info about the product.

 

[For want of a better word]

LOOSE.... £4 lb
then add the cost of jar/ label/cartage ... minimum £4.80?

Not exactly profitable when you add in time/ sugar cost of new bees every year from importers / breeders .....................................

If you want to become rich get into banking!

 

[tonybloke]

£4 a lb 'loose', and £4.50 a 1lb jar

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

The other half 'naiively' mentioned £5.00 per half pound jar last year - all sold within a day or two and orders for this year already submitted (thinking about £6 or £7 for a 12 oz jar)

 

[richardbees]

I charge £5 a jar and emphasise it's a 1lb jar