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Beverley Beekeepers' Association

The local Beekeeping Association for East Yorkshire

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Selling Honey

Once you have your own bees it should not be long before you are producing more honey than your family and friends can eat, but before offering honey for sale, it is important that you find out about the regulations governing sales to the public. BBKA supplies details of the legal requirements for honey sales, and provide updates to regulations as they are amended. Aspects of selling honey to be considered are:

Extracting and Bottling Equipment
This should be stainless steel or food grade plastic.

Containers
The size and quality of containers and the weights of honey that can be sold are defined.

Purity
Honey must be exactly what is stated on the label and should be pure, clean and devoid of foreign material. Honey should be regarded as a high quality product and be carefully prepared for sale so that customers get the best product available.

Labelling Law
The regulations clearly state what should be on a label and how big each element should be. You must also use tamper-evident labels if selling honey to the public through a retailer.

Marketing
You will have no trouble selling your honey to friends and neighbours. If you wish to go further and start a small business then there are several books on the subject. Alternatively you may consider selling honey in bulk to First Honey Co-operative, a marketing organization for beekeepers.

Price
At present a price of at least £2.50 per pound is recommended.