Pricing

[For want of a better word]

Liquid honey . .. . "Tears of the Walrus"
or wax . . . . .. . . "Nasal mucus of the Walrus" ?

Maybe not. I think you've got a good brand image already.

. .. Ben

Cream of sum yung man.... ideal for crispy pork!

 

[Newbeeneil]

I have found that those hexagonal 12oz jars with gold coloured lids are the most popular with people who want my honey.

A nice crisp label on two sides of the hexagon showing which of my apiaries it comes from and a smaller label on the back explaining how it's treated keeps customers coming back.
I took off almost 400lbs this year and am selling an average of 1 12oz (£5) jar per day from my door alone! Will run out long before next year as I'm also supplying 3 shops.
I love selling from the door as you get great feedback from the customers.

 

[Cuckmere couple]

Good packaging sells honey easily. Make it appeal to visitors who want a keep sake.
If the pub is going to be a good selling point then call the honey after the pub. E.g? king's Head honey etc

good friends with the owner of pub and its a very popular eating pub in middle of nowhere so a good place to sell

im going to suggest being the 'resident' beekeeper and call it after pub and sell the 12oz jars for £5 and lower price for non jar'd honey in bulk for pub to use in their food production/cooking etc

 

[Popparand]

I must have spent £800 over 2 years as I try to keep costs down. Never sold a jar of honey. Cheaper than golf as I always tell people.

Don't expect they make money for you.

Blimey, 6 hives and colonies + extractor etc for 800 quid. Can I have contact details for your supplier please? (PM me, otherwise I'll get crushed in the rush!)

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Cheaper than golf as I always tell people.

And you don't have to wear such ridiculous outfits

 

[Parsonage Bees]

Blimey, 6 hives and colonies + extractor etc for 800 quid. Can I have contact details for your supplier please? (PM me, otherwise I'll get crushed in the rush!)

Extractor was £50 second hand and this was my first set of boxes bought at Lincs auction at a newbie price of £120. Scruffiest set of boxes on the day.
First load of bees was a swarm for £15.

I'm including beginners course as well. Think I stopped counting when I gave up the idea that they would pay their way.

I had to think twice about whether I could afford to take up this hobby but don't regret going for it.

 

[Popparand]

Extractor was £50 second hand and this was my first set of boxes bought at Lincs auction at a newbie price of £120. Scruffiest set of boxes on the day.
First load of bees was a swarm for £15.

I'm including beginners course as well. Think I stopped counting when I gave up the idea that they would pay their way.

I had to think twice about whether I could afford to take up this hobby but don't regret going for it.

Good for you, mate.

 

[ShinySideUp]

I bought every thing new. Five hives, two nuc boxes, bee suit, hive tools, varroa treatments, blah, blah; I estimate I have forked out a little under two grand in the last two years. But this year from three active hives I took about 35kg of honey and made nearly four hundred quid -- less glassware -- so I'm not making a profit, but if next year is like this year and I manage to get through the summer with five active hives then I expect to almost break even as I have no major outlay to achieve this.

Of course now I have said that, next summer will be ***** and I'll be lucky if I get a couple of jars for myself. Hey ho.

 

[iann41]

Quote by Parsonage Bees, Scruffiest set of boxes on the day.

There's nothing wrong with the hives you bought. Just a little weathered. If they're water tight the bees won't mind how they look.

 

[Etton]

A nice crisp label on two sides of the hexagon showing which of my apiaries it comes from and a smaller label on the back explaining how it's treated keeps customers coming back.
I took off almost 400lbs this year and am selling an average of 1 12oz (£5) jar per day from my door alone! Will run out long before next year as I'm also supplying 3 shops.
I love selling from the door as you get great feedback from the customers.

If selling thro 3rd parties what % do beekeepers allow the seller. I'm thinking if I say sell at £4 a jar then £1 to the seller, what do others give, if £5 how much do others give?

 

[Stiffy]

Extractor was £50 second hand and this was my first set of boxes bought at Lincs auction at a newbie price of £120. Scruffiest set of boxes on the day.
First load of bees was a swarm for £15.

I'm including beginners course as well. Think I stopped counting when I gave up the idea that they would pay their way.

I had to think twice about whether I could afford to take up this hobby but don't regret going for it.

Looks like a good bargain to me, though I would watch those old Thxxrnes roofs as I haven't had one yet that didn't leak after a year or two!
S

 

[For want of a better word]

I bought every thing new. Five hives, two nuc boxes, bee suit, hive tools, varroa treatments, blah, blah; I estimate I have forked out a little under two grand in the last two years. But this year from three active hives I took about 35kg of honey and made nearly four hundred quid -- less glassware -- so I'm not making a profit, but if next year is like this year and I manage to get through the summer with five active hives then I expect to almost break even as I have no major outlay to achieve this.

Of course now I have said that, next summer will be ***** and I'll be lucky if I get a couple of jars for myself. Hey ho.

You should try the Cornish dark native bees... little bit of a boom when forage is exceptional.. never had a bad year with them!

Chons da

 

[SDM]

If selling thro 3rd parties what % do beekeepers allow the seller. I'm thinking if I say sell at £4 a jar then £1 to the seller, what do others give, if £5 how much do others give?

30% is pretty much what retailers expect as a markup

 

[Amari]

It also saves on extracting it by selling it complete in the frame.

Saw these honey combs for sale in Elmali market, 100km inland from the Turkish coastal city of Antalya. Lovely hot day (1st week October) but not a robber bee or hornet in sight (saw lots of hornets elsewhere that looked like V. velutina).

https://www.flickr.com/photos/gilesrobert/45716948892/in/dateposted-public/

 

[dpearce4]

I must have spent £800 over 2 years as I try to keep costs down. Never sold a jar of honey. Cheaper than golf as I always tell people.

Don't expect they make money for you.

I daren't say how much I have spent on new hives this year lets just say it was one hell of a lot more than that lol.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I daren't say how much I have spent on new hives this year lets just say it was one hell of a lot more than that lol.

Same here, hiding them away from SWMBO in the shed doesn't work any more - she noticed the extra shed!!

 

[Popparand]

Could not believe it today, we were walking past a café in Wrexham selling "Wrexham Honey" @ £3.85 for 12 oz.

We have a local bee keeper selling at £4 a 1lb jar (and apologising for this year's price hike). Makes you want to cry.

 

[GuyNir]

We have a local bee keeper selling at £4 a 1lb jar (and apologising for this year's price hike). Makes you want to cry.

 

[Repwoc]

I visited the market in Safron Walden today and there was a stall selling local "Safron Walden" honey @ £4 / 1 lb jar. It's not like the folks in Safron Walden look like they are short of cash either. People were buying 4 or 5 jars at a time in the few minutes I was there.

 

[Newbeeneil]

I visited the market in Safron Walden today and there was a stall selling local "Safron Walden" honey @ £4 / 1 lb jar. It's not like the folks in Safron Walden look like they are short of cash either. People were buying 4 or 5 jars at a time in the few minutes I was there.

I was in a health food shop in Petersfield Hants yesterday and was shocked to see a 375g of decent honey for sale at £4.21...... I hate to think what price the shop bought it for!!