This year's harvestWildflower honey
Our midsummer honey, golden and rounded, in a 340 g jar
$8.50
Raw honey from hives we tend by hand
Golden Comb keeps sixty hives in meadows, orchards and woodland edges around the valley. The honey is spun from the comb, strained and jarred without heating, so each batch tastes of its season. Shop honey and beeswax, put on a veil for a hive visit, or learn to keep bees on a weekend course.
60 hiveson four sites
2 harvestsearly and late summer
April to Septemberhive visits
- Hives on meadows, orchards and woodland edges
- Strained and jarred without heating
- Jars wrapped to travel
- Courses for new beekeepers
From the honey house
Every jar comes from our own hives and carries the site and the month it was taken off. When a harvest sells out, the next one tastes a little different.
This year's harvest
Late summer honey
Dark and strong from the woodland edges, 340 g
$9.50
Small batchesCut comb
A square of comb just as the bees capped it, about 200 g
$12.00
Beeswax candles
Poured from our own cappings wax, with cotton wicks
$14.00
Beeswax food wraps
Cotton coated in our wax, for covering bowls and wrapping bread
$11.00
Wedding favours and gift boxes
Little jars tied with twine, or boxes of honey and candles for staff and clients
Price on enquiry
EnquireCheckout totals the delivery fee for your address, and jars are wrapped in paper for the journey. As with any honey, please do not give it to babies under twelve months old.
Each harvest tastes of its season
Bees forage on whatever flowers near their hives, so no two years taste quite the same. These are the honeys we usually take off.
| Honey | Taken off | Colour and taste | Texture |
|---|---|---|---|
| Spring blossom | Early summer | Pale, mild and sweet | Sets quickly into a smooth cream |
| Wildflower | Midsummer | Golden, rounded and floral | Stays runny for months |
| Late summer | End of summer | Dark amber, strong, a little bitter | Sets slowly with a coarser grain |
| Cut comb | When a frame is just right | Whatever the season gives | Wax and honey eaten together |
Set honey has not gone off: crystals form naturally. To soften a jar, stand it in warm water for a while.
Sixty hives and the people who open them
Our hives stand on four sites, each with the landowner's permission and water the bees can reach. Through spring and summer we open every hive about once a week to check the queen, the brood and the stores, and to look for pests and disease.
We take only the honey a colony can spare and leave enough for it to winter on. Rules on registering hives and treating pests vary by country, so we follow the ones that apply where our hives stand.
- Hives checked weekly from spring to late summer
- Enough honey left for every colony's winter
- Wax from our own cappings, cleaned and reused
Hive visits and beekeeping courses
Suits, veils and gloves are provided. Visits run from April to September in calm, warm weather, and we move the date if the bees will not like the forecast.
Hive experience
from$45
- Open a hive with a beekeeper beside you
- Look for the queen, the brood and the stores
- A honey tasting in the honey house
Beginner's weekend
from$180
- Bee biology, equipment and the beekeeping year
- Two sessions at the hives in full kit
- Inspection sheets to keep for your own hive
Your first season
from$320
- A mentor at your hive six times in the first year
- Help with swarms, pests and the first harvest
- Phone advice between visits
We teach beekeeping, not bee medicine. For bee health problems that need official help, contact the authority that looks after bee health in your country.
Before you come to the hives
A hive visit is calm when everyone knows the rules, so please read them before you book.
- Tell us about any severe reaction to a sting
- Boots or closed shoes and long trousers
- Suits, veils and gloves provided
- No perfume or strong scents
- Children from 8 with an adult beside them
- Stay close to the beekeeper at the hives
- Children hold a hand by the pond and water troughs
- Wash hands before the honey tasting
Anyone who has had a serious reaction to a sting should speak to their doctor before joining a visit. If someone collapses or struggles to breathe, ring your local emergency number straight away.
A season with the bees
From orchard blossom in spring to candle pouring when the harvest is in.
Jars opened, hives visited (example reviews)
The late summer honey is dark and almost smoky, and the soft set jar spreads like butter. Both came wrapped so carefully that nothing could have broken.
Our beekeeper found the queen within ten minutes and let each of us hold a frame. The children stayed right beside us and talked about the tasting all the way home.
The weekend course was honest about the hard parts: swarms, stings and losing a colony. Six mentoring visits later, our first hive came through the winter.
Questions about honey, wax and the hives
Is your honey heated?
No. It is spun from the comb, strained through a fine mesh and jarred at the warmth of the honey house. That is all we mean by raw.
Why has the honey gone solid?
Most honey sets in time, and that is natural. Stand the jar in warm water until it softens, or enjoy it set on toast.
Can babies have honey?
No. As with any honey, it should not be given to babies under twelve months old.
What about people who react badly to stings?
Please tell us when you book. Anyone who has had a severe reaction should speak to their doctor before joining a visit, and in an emergency should call the local emergency number.
Can children come to a hive visit?
Children from 8 can join if a parent or carer stays at their side throughout. We have small suits for them, and they hold a hand near the pond and the water troughs.
Do you sell to shops and cafés?
We supply a few local shops and cafés in cases of twelve jars. Send a note with the form and we answer with prices and the honeys left in the store.
Book a hive visit or a course
Choose a date and tell us who is coming. We confirm within two working days, and a hive visit may move if the weather turns cold or wet.
- Suits, veils and gloves provided
- Visits from April to September
- Payment settled with us directly
Find the honey house
The honey house and its shop sit at the edge of the orchard, a short walk from the parking area.
The honey house
On the hill road, twenty minutes from town, with hives on four sites nearby
Shop hours
| Wednesday to Saturday | 10:00 to 17:00 |
| Sunday | 11:00 to 15:00 |
| Monday and Tuesday | Closed |
On the way
Twenty minutes from town on the hill road, signed from the crossroads. The hives stand well away from the paths, so please keep to them and leave dogs at home.