What started as a little winter experiment has turned into our newest Hollow and Hive product — and it’s now proudly for sale at a beautiful local farm shop full of independent retailers! 

As the season winds down, we help our bees face their smallest — yet most troublesome — enemy: Varroa. 

With the garden centre reopened, our jars have found their place on the shelves. From hive, to jar, to shop — and soon, to someone’s breakfast table. 

A call for help led us to a tiny colony living in a compost bin. With winter looming and survival unlikely, we stepped in 

With jars lined up and labelled, we put out the word. Friends, locals, and even Luke’s barber snapped them up. 

Another surprise super, another spin in the extractor! This time the honey came out lighter, clearer, and with a distinctly different flavour. A golden comparison. 

With Maria’s guidance, Luke’s DIY skills, and a few sugar feeds, we guided the bees from National frames to Langstroth. A quirky setup, but a complete success. 

From logo design to legal info (and a little credit to Beryl), our jars and labels came together beautifully. In the end, one super gave us an incredible 51 jars! 

(insert date) - Our first honey harvest! With the borrowed extractor humming, we spun out thick golden honey — our very first taste of liquid gold. 

(insert date) - With wasps prowling around hives, we stepped in to help our bees stay safe. A simple entrance reduction gave the guard bees the upper hand — and it worked perfectly. 

(insert date) - During an inspection with friends, one little bee gave Luke his first sting — through a marigold glove! A surprise more than a sting, and a true beekeeper’s milestone. 

(insert date) - A few weeks later, the bees are thriving in their new spot, surrounded by flowers. Visitors at the garden centre stop to admire the hive, sparking curiosity and conversations about bees. 

(insert date) - With Adrian’s help (and his trusty Land Rover), we packed up our buzzing box and relocated the hive to Halstead Garden Centre. A big adventure for a little colony! 

3rd-June-2025 : From hidden eggs to finally spotting our queen, Beryl, and giving her a pink crown. Each inspection revealed a growing, calm colony — and the thrill of our first real beekeeping lessons. 

13th-May 2025 : The day it all started, a phone call from Antony Stark, a meeting in Colney Green, and a swirling cloud of bees becoming our very first colony. With a bit of 3D-printing magic, our hive was born.