27.03.2024
Wildflower borders at the Haggs Farm Business Park on the Rudding Estate
Abundance Bees, owned by prize winning Beekeeper Sarah Haynes, are now flying over the fields, woodlands, and Business Parks of the Rudding Estate, and Sarah is already winning prizes for their lovely honey and honeycomb.
Recent changes to our farming practises, to make them more nature friendly, which include reducing agrichemical inputs, introducing herbal lays to our grazing fields and planting wildflower borders and insect friendly schemes in our Business Parks, have all contributed to a much more bee friendly and attractive environment and this is now resulting in a harvest of lovely award winning honey from the Abundance Bees.
We were delighted when Sarah joined us on the Rudding Estate and that she then went on to scoop six awards for her Rudding Estate honey and other honey products at Honey Shows in Harrogate and Lancashire last year and we wish her another fabulous year in 2024. As you'll read below Sarah is already having a very exciting year, but perhaps the most exciting news for her is that husband Steve has joined the business and they will be working together from now on.
Abundance Bees Honey scoops the awards at the 2023 Honey Show, including six prizes for Rudding Estate Honey!
Sarah has excitingly been recently promoted to Deputy Chair of the Hives and Honey Committee for the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, and by default also becomes the Deputy Chief Steward of the Hives & Honey Section at the Great Yorkshire Show. As a trainee BBKA (British Beekeepers Association) Honey Show Judge, too you would think she is enough of a busy bee herself, but she has also been invited to attend the Honey Sensory Analysis Course in Bolgna, Italy this June which is a great honour and the first step on her way to becoming a 'Honey Sommelier'. Honey is considered a major food group and has a somewhat higher profile in gastronomic circles in Italy hence the requirement for the important role of the honey sommelier. Sarah will need to attend three courses in total to gain that exciting and very exclusive accreditation, so it may be a while before we can celebrate that with her but we'll keep you posted.
Sarah also recently joined the writing team at Bee Craft Magazine, has been asked to do book reviews and does talks for schools and clubs.
We will keep you posted with information about Sarah's honey sales this year, as you can imagine its not been the best weather for bees recently but she's hoping for some better bee weather soon. In the meantime if you wish to place an advance order for Rudding Estate Honey with her you can contact her by:
Phone:07733346839
Email:sarahjhaynes@hotmail.co.uk
Follow her on Instagram at haynes_sarahj
First prize at the Lancashire & Northwest Beekeepers Association Honey Show