Price of honey

[Curly green finger's]

Running out is the sin that loses repeat custom, especially to shops.

Met a chap who sold quickly all he could produce through a PYO farm. He was proud of this great achievement when in reality he was undercharging woefully: farm was pushing it out at £3.50/lb retail.

Unless a beekeeper's stock can be increased to extend supply, price must rise to bring the same result by slowing sales.

Bonus is that customers are reminded that local honey is a product of value.

Why do people do that under charge for there product to try and gain more of the market, I hear from a few BFs this way complaining about Joe blogs selling honey in the next town/County at a reduced price in comparison..
Thinking they are making good money stupid fools!!

 

[Erichalfbee]

Why do people do that under charge for there product to try and gain more of the market, I hear from a few BFs this way complaining about Joe blogs selling honey in the next town/County at a reduced price in comparison..
Thinking they are making good money stupid fools!!

Isn’t that the supermarket ethos ?
Are you saying that a few bee farmers are complaining to you that they are being undercut? By hobby keepers?

 

[ericbeaumont]

Why do people do that under charge for there product to try and gain more of the market

No, Mark, they don't undercharge to gain a bigger slice of the market.They do it:

1 To get shot of buckets cluttering the place
2 To match local prices set by Mavis and that old boy in the next village in 1964
3 Because they don't see the impact low prices have beyond the garden gate
4 Because they didn't set out to make money, and though they've heard others do, point 3 applies

 

[REDWOOD]

There other ways to sell your honey at a higher price

 

[ericbeaumont]

There other ways to sell your honey at a higher price

Go on then, share them!

 

[enrico]

Running out is the sin that loses repeat custom, especially to shops.

Met a chap who sold quickly all he could produce through a PYO farm. He was proud of this great achievement when in reality he was undercharging woefully: farm was pushing it out at £3.50/lb retail.

Unless a beekeeper's stock can be increased to extend supply, price must rise to bring the same result by slowing sales.

Bonus is that customers are reminded that local honey is a product of value.

But from the gate it is a different matter. They queue for it when I have it! Word goes round the village like wild fire.....the honey is here.....don't miss it!

 

[Curly green finger's]

Isn’t that the supermarket ethos ?
Are you saying that a few bee farmers are complaining to you that they are being undercut? By hobby keepers?

Know BFs

 

[ericbeaumont]

But from the gate it is a different matter

The local honey market extends beyond the garden gate.

They queue for it when I have it!

If it sells fast maybe they know they're buying a Roll-Royce at a Mondeo price.

don't miss it!

Because it won't be around in November.

 

[Jules59]

This thread makes interesting reading.

I'm a hobbyist beekeeper (in my 4th year) and have produced between 50 and 90 kg of honey a year from 3 hives on average).
I'm conscious of the temptation to undervalue UK honey product.
A local commercial beekeeper (Holt Hall Apiary) is selling on-line, 1kg jars @ £16.50 (£7.50/lb) or 8oz jars @ £4.50 (£9/lb) for standard runny honey.
So I've tried to set what I thought was a reasonable price for selling my comparatively variable product.
I sell at the gate and within my village at £4.75/12oz (I only do Hex 12oz jars to keep it simple) which is £6.35/lb.
I have found most people want "untreated" runny honey but a significant % want set (its less messy) and some have even said they like the crunching crystals better than runny. Takes all kinds.


Comments welcome.

 

[robmort]

Local honey supplied to the local, otherwise expenisve, farmshop is on sale at £3.60 for 8oz and £5.50 for 16oz.

 

[polymath]

I get £4 for a 8oz hex, retails at £5.50, will probably try and push the price up this year to £4.50 wholesale. From the door i get normally £5 a jar. Key here is marketing, in the same village opposite someone sells their honey called County X Honey at £7 a lb retail. I call mine Village Y and cannot keep up with demand. People want local from local stores.

 

[gmonag]

If BKAs up and down the country persuaded members to drop the 454 and bottle in 340s the price would go up by 25% without any effort.

I don't think an underhand policy of "shrinkflation" is the way to go. The customers will see through it and it insults their intelligence. Ask Toblerone how it went for them!

 

[Markthebuilder]

Last year first time selling my kids sold 8oz round jars with a gingham top no label just a sign saying “raw honey” @ £4.50 from a crate at the end of the lane with a honesty box. they put out a couple of jars each day and after a couple of weeks we had people driving up the lane to see if we had any more.
We priced at 4.50 because I thought £5 seamed too much for a little jar.
This year I have been over ruled so we are going to try 8oz hex jars with labels @ £5.

 

[Erichalfbee]

I despair sometimes
View attachment 26797

On the other hand
This is good if you can get it

 

[Wilco]

On the other hand
This is good if you can get it
View attachment 28722

One thing I'd like to do, and I wonder if it's something we could do as a forum, is market heather honey better. There are a couple of published studies I'm aware of which indicate it may have better antimicrobial properties than manuka honey. It's a potential goldmine given the transformation in market demand seen with manuka honey.

 

[Erichalfbee]

One thing I'd like to do, and I wonder if it's something we could do as a forum, is market heather honey better. There are a couple of published studies I'm aware of which indicate it may have better antimicrobial properties than manuka honey. It's a potential goldmine given the transformation in market demand seen with manuka honey.

Have to be careful with that
Can you imagine the rush for hobbyists to get their bees onto heather? Heather wars?

 

[Wilco]

Have to be careful with that
Can you imagine the rush for hobbyists to get their bees onto heather? Heather wars?

Coming to a cinema near you!

A long time ago, on a heath just down the road...

 

[Curly green finger's]

I watched the trailer last night, it gets rather heated at times.
Edit: hive tools at dawn.

 

[Wilco]

I watched the trailer last night, it gets rather heated at times.

Overheating trailer crammed with hives destined for the heather?

Obviously, because the honey has to go somewhere, this series will eventually have an episode with Jar Jar in it...

 

[Patrick1]

I don't think an underhand policy of "shrinkflation" is the way to go. The customers will see through it and it insults their intelligence. Ask Toblerone how it went for them!

Well it works for most of the confectionary manufacturers