Jar of honey packaging

[Paulypaul]

I'm selling my honey online .
How do others pack their jars of honey for safe postage?
Thorne sells polystyrene jar safe boxes, but they are £2.50 a pop.

Thanks.

 

[Wilco]

These:

https://www.kitepackaging.co.uk/scp...BSUpuWAcq-mpfGT3Mc_fwSfcnNDZM7MBoC5cIQAvD_BwE

Packed with decent amounts of this;

https://www.kitepackaging.co.uk/scp...BSUpuWAcq-mpfGT3Mc_fwSfcnNDZM7MBoC5cIQAvD_BwE

This should be largely biodegradable also.

 

[enrico]

You can buy any size box on line and a sheet of newspaper, or even better, white tissue, is all that us needed.
Why not get the box printed up with your logo. It is the presentation that gets repeat customers

 

[Erichalfbee]

These:

https://www.kitepackaging.co.uk/scp...BSUpuWAcq-mpfGT3Mc_fwSfcnNDZM7MBoC5cIQAvD_BwE

Packed with decent amounts of this;

https://www.kitepackaging.co.uk/scp...BSUpuWAcq-mpfGT3Mc_fwSfcnNDZM7MBoC5cIQAvD_BwE

This should be largely biodegradable also.

Same here.

 

[drdrday]

I use 'smash-proof' mug boxes. They're double walled, so they're really well padded already, and then I just use shredded recycled card to fill the gaps.
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/373620443828?var=642629934280
They're great for one jar, and I usually just tape a couple of boxes together if I have to ship more than one because I trust these more than single-walled boxes.

 

[Paulypaul]

@Wilco @enrico @drdrday
Thanks for that great advice. I may go down the path of the smashproof single mug boxes and the larger boxes with the packing material for orders of 2 or more jars.

 

[Dodge]

I just ordered a jar of Honey from a well known Welsh Honey Farmer and looked at his packaging and where it was from.

As I understand if you sell online you do need inform your local Councils Environmental Health dept as scores on the doors is required.

 

[Paulypaul]

I just ordered a jar of Honey from a well known Welsh Honey Farmer and looked at his packaging and where it was from.

As I understand if you sell online you do need inform your local Councils Environmental Health dept as scores on the doors is required.

In the USA, selling online requires FDA approval. I can't find anything like that for the UK.
Large-scale (150+ hives) honey producers do require Environmental health approval, in general, but small scale producers do not.

 

[North End Bees]

In the USA, selling online requires FDA approval. I can't find anything like that for the UK.
Large-scale (150+ hives) honey producers do require Environmental health approval, in general, but small scale producers do not.

I'm fairly sure that you need to be registered with your local TA for sales other than 'local'.
I think local counts as about 30 miles.

 

[PeaBee]

There is no definition of 'local' in the regulations, it is up to the individual authority/eho to decide. The artisan exemption for registering as a food business is meant to cover farm gate sales and popping a few jars in a local shop. I would expect most if not all uk councils would expect online sellers to register as a food business operator.

 

[Andy]

I'm fairly sure that you need to be registered with your local TA for sales other than 'local'.
I think local counts as about 30 miles.

The guidance for small producers - direct supply in Scotland has the following
‘Local Supply’ means supply within the same Local Authority, in immediately neighbouring Local Authorities or those situated no more than 30 miles/50 kilometres from the boundary of the supplier’s Local Authority , whichever is greater – but never beyond the UK, except supply from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland. When the supplying establishment is located in the Scottish islands, local is interpreted as anywhere within Scotland.

I imagine England has something similar.

Aberdeenshire is quite big, so local is quite a large area.

 

[Andy]

There is no definition of 'local' in the regulations, it is up to the individual authority/eho to decide. The artisan exemption for registering as a food business is meant to cover farm gate sales and popping a few jars in a local shop. I would expect most if not all uk councils would expect online sellers to register as a food business operator.

With regards quantities
‘Small Quantities’ refers to the quantity of a product you can supply whilst continuing to operate within the regulatory exemptions. You should speak to the environmental health officer from your Local Authority for guidance on what they would determine as ‘small quantities’ for the products you intend on selling. It should be noted however that small quantities for many products is often regarded as self-defining as there is a limit to local and final consumer demand for products directly sold from small and primary producers.

I have read elsewhere that it is deemed such that a farmer is able to sell all his production locally. Not, one of these modern super farms but a farm in the more old fashioned sense. Can't remember where right now.

 

[PeaBee]

In the USA, selling online requires FDA approval. I can't find anything like that for the UK.
Large-scale (150+ hives) honey producers do require Environmental health approval, in general, but small scale producers do not.

In the UK (England specifically because that is where I have worked and whose regulations I am most familiar with) it varies from authority to authority and is not hive dependant.
I know of large-scale bee farmers who are exempt because they do not jar honey and just sell in barrels and therefore it is primary production and not requiring FBO registration as a food business and subject to the same regulations that cover other primary production sectors. I have also known councils who view all honey businesses as low risk and will register but not inspect but I have also known (and worked for) authorities who have required the registration of beekeepers with less than 30 hives selling in local outlets as they judge the quantities to be above "small". If selling any quantity online I would recommend discussing with your council's EHO team as they may require registration for online postal sales. Its a short online form if you do need to register and if they say you are too small to need to register and are happy for you to sell online ask them for an email saying that, so you are covered just in case anyone gets uppity in the future.

 

[Dodge]

There is no definition of 'local' in the regulations, it is up to the individual authority/eho to decide. The artisan exemption for registering as a food business is meant to cover farm gate sales and popping a few jars in a local shop. I would expect most if not all uk councils would expect online sellers to register as a food business operator.

Selling Honey on-line can definitely be argued as I will below be classed as popping a few jars in a local shop and is definitely no different from selling at the farm gate.

Just because WWW stands for World Wide does not mean a web address can't be uaed to sell 20 jars online a year to a few people in a local area as that's where the Web address is advertised and not been search engine optimised to appear on a search for Honey made inasas Vegas. It all about scale surely. The classic exam question of "representation and reality"

I completely agree however, to check with the local controlling authority for guidance and instruction on the matter as ot does vary.

 

[Andy]

Selling Honey on-line can definitely be argued as I will below be classed as popping a few jars in a local shop and is definitely no different from selling at the farm gate.

Just because WWW stands for World Wide does not mean a web address can't be uaed to sell 20 jars online a year to a few people in a local area as that's where the Web address is advertised and not been search engine optimised to appear on a search for Honey made inasas Vegas. It all about scale surely. The classic exam question of "representation and reality"

You could certainly do a bit of Facebook and just offer it locally. Now the problem I believe is there is meant to be no food advertised. I see quite a few honey sales from the same people year after year though.

 

[PeaBee]

Selling Honey on-line can definitely be argued as I will below be classed as popping a few jars in a local shop and is definitely no different from selling at the farm gate.

Just because WWW stands for World Wide does not mean a web address can't be uaed to sell 20 jars online a year to a few people in a local area as that's where the Web address is advertised and not been search engine optimised to appear on a search for Honey made inasas Vegas. It all about scale surely. The classic exam question of "representation and reality"

I completely agree however, to check with the local controlling authority for guidance and instruction on the matter as ot does vary.

Most of the legislation and regulations date from the 1990s to early 2000s so the interweb was not a massive thing (certainly not for small scale food sellers) or i suspect given much consideration in the drafting of the legislation/regs. Hence it falling on the individual authority or officer to exercise their judgment when dealing with this sort of thing. If they take a risk based approach does selling 20 jars of honey per year online carry any more risk than selling them locally at a village fete? But if they are a stickler they could get excited about the non-local aspect. There are bits of guidance etc that has been issued on various aspect of distant selling but i doubt honey has ever featured in them specifically, I certainly have never spotted it.

 

[Paulypaul]

Selling Honey on-line can definitely be argued as I will below be classed as popping a few jars in a local shop and is definitely no different from selling at the farm gate.

Just because WWW stands for World Wide does not mean a web address can't be uaed to sell 20 jars online a year to a few people in a local area as that's where the Web address is advertised and not been search engine optimised to appear on a search for Honey made inasas Vegas. It all about scale surely. The classic exam question of "representation and reality"

I completely agree however, to check with the local controlling authority for guidance and instruction on the matter as ot does vary.

I sell most of my honey through my website. 95% of customers live in the surrounding streets.

 

[Andy]

I sell most of my honey through my website. 95% of customers live in the surrounding streets.

Do you deliver, or they collect? A lot of home insurances seem to be affected by trade from home when I checked. They don't like a high footfall. I'm trying to see what other people do.

 

[Newbeeneil]

Do you deliver, or they collect? A lot of home insurances seem to be affected by trade from home when I checked. They don't like a high footfall. I'm trying to see what other people do.

I sell about 1000 jars from the shelves out side my house so I checked my policy and it doesn’t cover the footfall so I investigated other policies. Several did cover business use and a couple were cheaper than my existing so I’ll be changing companies come November.

 

[Andy]

I asked Tesco but only on a phone call and they were happy with hobbyists. I think I need to get it writing. Especially as I'll be doing it under a business umbrella. Do you mind saying who came up as allowing business?