Behind Every Jar: Local Beekeepers Keep Honey – and Bees – Thriving

By Rebecca Fox, Trainee Reporter

Local beekeeper, Bob Dillan, explains why local honey is best for you and the bees.

In 2021, Bob Dillan decided to begin his beekeeping journey after receiving his first hive from his wife, Jane. Fast-forward to today, and Bob has eight hives on his Norfolk Road Allotment plot in Upminster, each containing a minimum of fifty thousand bees. From the extraction of the honey to the swarming of colonies, local beekeeping promotes rather than impedes the natural cycle of the bees.

Industrial beekeeping, which stocks our shop shelves with additive-filled honey, notoriously disrupts the natural behaviours of bees in favour of producing as much honey (and money) as possible. Bad practices include: the prevention of swarming, the over-harvesting of honey, and the production of highly processed honey. These common practices of industrial beekeeping ultimately limit the reproduction and strength of bee colonies.

Whereas local honey is typically of a better quality in comparison to mass-produced honey, as local beekeepers more frequently allow their bees to pollinate, which results in a healthier supply for both human and bee consumption. Therefore, buying local honey supports healthier bees and healthier honey.

As Bob told The Havering Daily, “It’s so good, I almost don’t want to eat it!”, which highlights the noticeable taste and overall quality improvement from industrially-produced honey.

Bob maintains the good practices of local honey production by allowing the bee colonies to swarm when they need to, collecting honey at the bees’ pace, feeding them sugar syrup alongside allowing them to collect pollen from the surrounding plant life, and refraining from combining any additives when harvesting the honey.

As well as creating purer honey, Bob’s beekeeping encourages a great sense of community at Norfolk Road Allotments as fellow plot owners plant flowers specifically for the bees and take a keen interest in the beekeeping process. Bob also works closely alongside other beekeepers at the allotment and is a member of the Romford Beekeeping Division, which has meetings monthly to discuss all things bees. This highlights the strong sense of community among beekeepers across Havering as they share their honey and expertise with each other and Havering locals alike.

It is inspiring to see Bob’s passion for beekeeping and his promotion of better quality honey, with bee welfare at the heart of every jar. Hopefully, more people can appreciate the benefits of buying local honey and supporting local beekeepers, just like Bob, all over the borough.

Stay up to date with all of our latest updates and content by following us on our social media accounts!

We have created community pages where we will share our up-to-date stories happening in the area. Add the area closest to where you live.