Price of honey

[user 20297]

Idiots ruin it for everyone.

I try my best.

 

[Swarm]

Butcher got in touch needing another delivery of honey, they also have Christmas orders. I didn't have time to start unpacking them and get them on the shelf before customers were asking and taking a jar, one couple took a jar and also have a few on order for Christmas,
I left there with a load of meat and a wad of cash.
Following day I noticed honey for sale at a garden centre from two different bee farmers and was shocked to see their 12oz jars retailing at £5.99.

 

[lindsay s]

Most of us had a good season up here and even though there’s a lot more local honey about than usual it doesn’t last long. I saw 5oz jars at a craft fair for £5:00 at the weekend. Friends sell 8oz jars from their honesty box for £5:00 and had plenty of demand. I was selling my 385g /13.5oz jars to friends and family for £5:00 and it was probably too cheap but that’s because I’m too soft. The jars hold 300ml but 340g of honey doesn’t quite fill them up enough for my liking. A local shop gave me £6:50 per jar for which I was more than happy with and was selling them for £8:00, they were also selling 1lb jars for £10:00. Both jars were side by side on the same table and I observed that often the 1lb jars were quickly put down when the £10:00 price was noticed. The honey looked the same as mine but £10:00 was just too much for some people (and as I’ve said elsewhere Tesco is selling honey for £0:69 a jar) !!! Apart from what I’m keeping back for my own use all of my honey has gone and I could have sold it twice over.

 

[ericbeaumont]

and as I’ve said elsewhere Tesco is selling honey for £0:69 a jar

That price is irrelevant.

Our market and the supermarket are light years apart, so avoid the temptation to compete because you'll always lose, and if you do try, you'll undermine the value of our product.

Our market is willing to pay more for honey with an identifiable source, fewer carbon miles, and which has not been cleansed of authenticity.

Solution to the £10 barrier: don't sell in 454 jars but use 340, which at £10/lb retails at £7.50. Gives you the option to raise prices gently over the next few years without hitting that barrier.

 

[Tony Slater]

Unless it's shitely presented, buy it off him, relabel and sell it on at a realistic price!

Probably better to not re-label it, just sell it on.

 

[Tony Slater]

Butcher got in touch needing another delivery of honey, they also have Christmas orders. I didn't have time to start unpacking them and get them on the shelf before customers were asking and taking a jar, one couple took a jar and also have a few on order for Christmas,
I left there with a load of meat and a wad of cash.
Following day I noticed honey for sale at a garden centre from two different bee farmers and was shocked to see their 12oz jars retailing at £5.99.

Is £5.99 too high or too low? I sell 12oz jars for £6 at the door.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Is £5.99 too high or too low? I sell 12oz jars for £6 at the door.

It depends on your area - there is no 'one size fits all', it would be foolish to think so.

 

[ericbeaumont]

depends on your area - there is no 'one size fits all'

True, but price imbalance can be eroded slowly if the beekeeper keeps in mind that price shall rise over a few years.

The alternative is to plod on in the exercise yard of the prison of stagnation, from which we're struggling to escape.

Take no pride in selling out fast: either it's in short supply (and customers are unlikely to know that) or the price is too low. My bet is on the latter.

Is £5.99 too high or too low?

Butcher doesn't know his market: that old 99 trick is for supermarkets and the cheaper end, and is out of place selling quality produce: just call it £6!*

*£6.20 next year.

 

[Swarm]

Is £5.99 too high or too low? I sell 12oz jars for £6 at the door.

The garden centre were asking £5.99, I wonder what the bee farmers sold it for?

 

[maddydog]

The garden centre were asking £5.99, I wonder what the bee farmers sold it for?

About £4ish maybe?

As jbm noted earlier, there is no 'one size fits all' One of the markets I trade at has a butcher and grocer nearby selling pound jars of (purportedly) honey produced in the county - priced £4.40 and £3.80 respectively.
I also have two customers selling to a similar class of client. One retails at £7 the other £9.95, the former outsells the latter by a huge margin. So there is clearly an 'acceptable' price for a jar of honey in my area.
Volume is another consideration. Yes, absolutely I could sell 10's of jars at a considerably higher price than I currently do, not a problem, but the 1000's I need to sustain a business? Not so sure.

 

[Jimmy]

The garden centre were asking £5.99, I wonder what the bee farmers sold it for?

I heard recently that the bulk bucket price was in the range £2.60 - £3.20 per lb, so I can easily see that the beefarmer might be satisfied with what they are getting. Maddydog makes a good point above.

 

[Murox]

I believe Maddydog has absolutely pinned the the tail to the donkey. Most folks on this forum that sell honey are offering a 'product' to 'a unique niche market'. Most do not practice transhumance to maximise potential and are not making their living from sales. Many are no doubt supplementing their income from sales and wish to maximise that potential, naturally. Depending on where you happen to live your product has more or less 'value', and its very easy to either under or over estimate the value of your honey.

As an example – I only sold spring/summer honey in 227g pots this year at £5 per jar, to whoever, one price fits all. Some went to a retailer locally who charged £7.50 per jar. Saturday I purchased a 227g jar of “almost local” Heather honey for exactly the same retail price. I don't think it would be as easy to sell honey at £10 per kilo 'wholesale' in other areas of the uk.

 

[Swarm]

Depending where you happen to live, indeed. A very affluent area, the clothing, food, haberdashery attached to said garden centre was certainly catering for the high end, niche market.

 

[Curly green finger's]

The garden centre were asking £5.99, I wonder what the bee farmers sold it for?

£4. 50 if the farmer was wise.
Im only just starting to sell our Heather @ £10 per 8 oz
Spring, summer, lime,dandelion, mixed @ £5 per 8 oz
Both wholesale.

 

[enrico]

£4. 50 if the farmer was wise.
Im only just starting to sell our Heather @ £10 per 8 oz
Spring, summer, lime,dandelion, mixed @ £5 per 8 oz
Both wholesale.

Has you lime and dandelion separated at all? Just interested

 

[maddydog]

£4. 50 if the farmer was wise.
Im only just starting to sell our Heather @ £10 per 8 oz
Spring, summer, lime,dandelion, mixed @ £5 per 8 oz
Both wholesale.

That appears to be an excellent wholesale price for heather?
Few people around here have heard of heather honey nevermind tried it. Once they've tasted it many are converts and I'll be selling at a premium next year. I'll be taking a lot more up to the Moors next year now I've cracked the extraction side of things

 

[Erichalfbee]

That appears to be an excellent wholesale price for heather?
Few people around here have heard of heather honey nevermind tried it. Once they've tasted it many are converts and I'll be selling at a premium next year. I'll be taking a lot more up to the Moors next year now I've cracked the extraction side of things

Most of my customers find it too strong so I blend it with blossom and make soft set. Goes down really well

 

[maddydog]

Most of my customers find it too strong so I blend it with blossom and make soft set. Goes down really well

Exactly what I do

 

[Curly green finger's]

Has you lime and dandelion separated at all? Just interested

Lime is still runny dandelion has crystalized.

 

[Curly green finger's]

That appears to be an excellent wholesale price for heather?
Few people around here have heard of heather honey nevermind tried it. Once they've tasted it many are converts and I'll be selling at a premium next year. I'll be taking a lot more up to the Moors next year now I've cracked the extraction side of things

I don't have alot of Heather and my wholesale price is what other beeks are selling it for locally or not so locally.
I've blended some as well.