Becoming a beekeeper
Beekeeping is a big commitment - but highly rewarding. If you are thinking of becoming a beekeeper we recommend you contact us in the first instance so that we can suggest a suitable way forward for you. We run a Beginners' Beekeeping Course annually which will give you all the knowledge you need to make a start including advice on where to obtain bees, how much it costs and we can even provide you with a mentor to help you in your first season. Get in touch with us here.
Basic Assessment
Beyond the Beginners' Course there is the Basic Assessment which shows you have sufficient knowledge and experience to mentor a new beekeeper as well as to collect swarms and advise others. We arrange the Assessment through the BBKA and it is usually held in May or June at our Training Apiary. We provide all the necessary theory you will need.
Module Exams
The BBKA provide an impressive array of exams, online courses and practical assessments to take you up to Master Beekeeper status! We occasionally run Module Exam theory sessions which cover the necessary syllabi preparing you for taking the written exam. These are run over the winter months and are based on demand.
Queen rearing
In cooperation with the Sussex Coast Honeybee Improvement Partnership, we are excited to announce the intention to run a queen rearing course in 2025; with support from the BBKA, who appreciate the need for beekeepers to develop their skills in this fascinating and rewarding area. Choosing breeder colonies, raising queens in cell raiser colonies and getting them mated teaches you a great deal about honeybees and provides many opportunities for selection and improvement.
Our training team
We are lucky to have a number of excellent educators who have over 100 years of beekeeping experience between them as well as first rate knowledge of beekeeping theory.
Esther Bryce
Founder / Interior designer
Lianne Wilson
Broker
Jaden Smith
Architect
Jessica Kim
Photographer