We have a lot to thank bees for; pollination, which more than 75 per cent of the world’s food crops depend upon, honey and our infused spirits. Which is why, today, on World Bee Day we are celebrating all that is awesome about bees. The United Nations declared May 20 an official day in 2018 to raise awareness of the importance of bees as pollinators and to help protect and reverse their decline.

At the British Honey Company, we understand that bees are an integral part of our ecosystem and, as beekeepers at heart, ensuring the sustainability of this species is at the core of our business.

Here’s 5 ways we are helping the British honeybee:

1. By increasing the number of our hives and helping to reduce the dramatic decline in beekeeping in the UK

We started out with just one hive and now have more than 275. That amounts to 60,000 bees per hive at peak season, so a whopping total of 16.5million buzzing bees.

2. By maintaining sustainable beekeeping practices

We have established a model bee farm at the Tusmore Estate and will be creating a further farm of 300 hives at Rushy Meadow Site of Special Scientific Interest, also in Oxfordshire, this year. Both these sites provide a natural environment for the bees to thrive and allows us to trace within a 4km radius working area, the natural flavour of the honey by knowing the locations of the hives and the pollen/fruits growing in that area. We ensure our honey bee stocks are well-managed to keep the bees in optimum condition, healthy and disease-free.

3. By sourcing the honey for our products from our own British hives

4. By supporting British beekeepers through our membership of the British Bee Farmers Association

We purchase selected honey from these members which allows them to continue growing their hives.

5. By raising awareness of the plight of the honeybee and encouraging people to buy local, raw honey

What you can do to help the bees

- Buy raw honey from local producers.
- Plant a diverse range of native plants in your garden which flower at different times of year.
- Avoid pesticides, fungicides and herbicides in your gardens.
- Learn more about bees so you can raise awareness and, for those who are scared of bees, conquer your fear. Bees are not aggressive insects and do not go after humans unprovoked.