Bermondsey Street Bees Custom House Raw London Honey 220g

Custom House Honey

Within the lesser-known corners of East London, tucked away from the well-trodden path, lies a haven for bees to flourish. The hives at Custom House gather pollen and nectar from a variety of sources, including re-wilded former industrial areas, private and public gardens, mature trees and shrubs, and the edges of Hackney Marshes. One particular favorite among the bees is Water Mint, lending a vibrant, herbaceous quality to this luscious honey.

Sustainable London Beekeeping & Honey

Bermondsey Street Bees was established in 2007 when London's open spaces, rooftops, and private gardens were still seen as a sanctuary for honeybees. In line with their focus on sustainability, co-founders Dale & Sarah embarked on numerous urban planting initiatives to safeguard and enhance biodiversity around their apiaries.

Since then though, the fashionable trend for urban beekeeping has swamped London and many other cities with more and more hives. The combination of soaring honeybee populations and ever-shrinking green space raises major ecological concerns, with scientists spotlighting London beekeeping (and honey production) as having become problematic. The city’s hive density is now three times higher than anywhere in Europe, and in this challenged environment, food-seeking honeybees increasingly compete not only with each other, but also with already-endangered wild bee species (bumblebees and solitaries.)

In the face of a steady increase in honeybee populations and parallel declines of wild pollinators, Bermondsey Street Bees have reduced their urban hive numbers significantly over the past few years. They have also moved apiaries away from urban hotspots into uncrowded, naturally rewilded land in London’s far Docklands, under an exclusive licence with The Royal Docks.

In these naturally rewilded brownfield sites, a rich, vibrant and ever-evolving flora and fauna underpin a strong ecosystem. Here, with plentiful resources, Bermondsey Street Bees’ hives can live in balance with their wild cousins. Bermondsey Street Bees always prioritise their bees’ welfare over honey production, but it’s thrilling to see national award-winning recognition for the glorious, and highly differentiated sustainable London honeys that their four Docklands sites are now producing.

Provenance

This East London honey, sourced from the area's Docklands, is rich and full of character thanks to significant re-wilding and a diverse range of pollen and nectar sources that promote optimal honeybee health. Extracted with a simple centrifuge and never heated above natural hive temperature, this honey is minimally filtered to preserve its natural flavours, aromatics, and micro-nutrients, including pollens. The colony is left with ample winter stores as only surplus honey is harvested.