September Honey Harvest!

September is when the main harvest gets underway and it is no different for beekeepers who are hard at work this time of year extracting the surplus honey that their bees have made.

Honey is, of course, made by honey bees. Whether buzzing about in their hives or foraging for nectar in the countryside or the city, honey bees perform the vital function of pollination. Our crops depend on pollination, without it plants cannot bear fruit. September typically marks the end of the beekeeping season in the UK, which means that the bees are beginning to prepare for winter by securing their hives so, as they pause, we will focus on them and their produce - glorious honey!

A honey's flavour is heavily influenced by what sort of plant the bees visit. There are many types of honey to be found on our markets. Look out for things like Borage, or Heather honeys and find one you like. Try raw (i.e. not heat-treated) honey, try honeycomb.

Come to our Wimbledon Farmers Market on the 16th or 30th of September to see bees in action! Keith Morgan, honey producer and expert beekeeper, will have his observation hive on his stall.

It is always National Something Month somewhere in the world but in the United States September is National Honey Month and, given the importance of bees to food production, we think it right to shine a light on them once a year and to support beekeepers.

We are proud to have a number of beekeepers bringing their honey and in some cases beeswax and other bee related products to our markets, look out for one of these at your local market this month: Bee Friendly, Bee Friends, Busy Bees Suppliers, Happy Bees, Keith Morgan, Backyard Apiary, Bushwood Bees & Arlenes Local

This month our hamper competition will feature honey and we have a really special prize from Bushwood Bees of a beekeeping experience up for grabs! For your chance to win, look out for this month's competitions when they appear on Instagram. Good luck!

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