Let's Get Down To Business

NIGEL and Jo Eddon are partners in Honeys of Henley. They are bee farmers who produce seasonal honey and are passionate about it.

Describe your business

We are commercial bee farmers who produce seasonal honeys, which are stocked in small independent shops. We sell at many local markets and have an online shop. Our honey crops are spring and summer and can vary greatly from year to year. We also sell by-products made from beeswax and propolis, such as soaps, food wraps and candles. We have also had mead made from our honey from the apiary at Oakengrove Vineyard. There is so much more we want to bring to market.

How many people does it employ?

We are the employees but in peak season we have help from the family.

What did you do before you started this business?

I was a landscape gardener and before that farmed and fished commercially, so I have always worked closely with nature. When one of my garden clients wanted to have beehives I was very willing to be involved. This marked the beginning of what has become a viable local business.

When did you start your business?

I started selling small amounts of honey about 12 years ago as a sideline. Unfortunately, about nine years ago, I suffered a severe back injury and was unable to work for about a year. Jo kept working her various jobs while drumming up more trade for the honey stores we had been gathering.

What was your objective?

When I started beekeeping, it was a popular belief that honey bees were in danger of decline. It was so relevant to my gardening work and my beliefs that working with bees, helping nature and creating healthy local food was a win-win. A few years after my back injury, we decided to really push the business and achieve 200 production colonies with the aim of being financially viable.

Who influenced you?

My wife. When I was unable to work physically I came up with some really creative products like our English Black Truffle Honey and together we brought them to market. I was also inspired by Bert Manley, an Oxfordshire bee farmer who died on 1977. He was ahead of his time and wrote some really detailed books.

Do you have a role model?

Manley and American bee farmer Mike Palmer. We have not replicated their methods exactly but their innovation continues to influence how we farm.

What would you do differently if you could start again?

Start earlier — we love bee farming.

How is your business doing?

It is growing slowly and sustainably. We saw a marked increase in sales and stockists during the pandemic. That has levelled off in the past year but local sales especially continue rising.

How do you market your business?

We are busy on social media with market dates, new products or special events.

What’s the best thing about running your own business?

Autonomy in decision making.

What’s the most challenging aspect?

Being very tired and still having much work to do — such is farming life. Juggling markets, events, hive inspections, book-keeping, social media.

Where is your business headed?

Expansion, with a backdrop of working smarter, not harder.

How important are online sales?

We avoided this for years but it is relevant because we don’t do markets far afield and yet our honey will be different to the honey in Cornwall or Scotland.

Do you have a five-year plan?

No, we just work from one year to the next.

What’s the most valuable thing you’ve learned?

Transparency, honesty and self-motivation.

What would you advise someone starting a business?

It will be hard work but often a well-researched idea will bear fruit.

What three qualities are most important to success?

Determination, hard work and a supportive family.

What’s the secret of your success?

See above.

What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made?

Expanding too rapidly and running out of sites for the hives. We would have invested in extraction and jarring equipment sooner — time saved jarring is more time out in the fields.

How organised are you?

Much more than a few years ago thanks to tech helping with accounting and invoicing on the move, shared diaries etc.

How do you dress for work each day?

Sturdy boots, long trousers, shirts and, in the season, beekeeping suits. We are beekeeping nearly every day from March through to November.

What can’t you do without every day?

Tea and hugs.

Lunch at your desk or going out?

Packed lunch nearly every day, even in the winter.

Do you continue to study?

Yes, the world is changing and studies continue to present new information. We are going to have to learn how to manage our bees alongside the Asian hornet at some point. We keep up to date with our food safety and health and safety in the workplace qualifications.

What do you read?

The Beekeepers Quarterly and Bee Farmer and we often re-read books on our bookshelves about beekeeping.

How are you planning for retirement?

What retirement?

Interview by Will Hamilton, intermediary
and global marketing consultant, Hamilton Associates