Bees & Honey

Bees are one of the strongest threads in nature’s complex web and if we don’t take care of them, things really will fall apart.

River Cottage Bees & Honey will guide you through a multitude of ways you can protect and attract our precious pollinators. Going beyond beekeeping, you’ll learn how to create a bee-friendly garden (or patio if you’re limited on space), ways to develop habitats if you don’t have space for a beehive, and why other species of bee are as important as honeybees. A beautiful bee spotter’s guide will inspire you to look more closely.

If you’re looking to set up a bee hive, this book will introduce you to different styles of hives and how to manage them, with step-by-step instructions and a monthly beekeeping calendar. A tome with honey in the title, it includes delicious details about how to detect flower flavours in your honey. The book also features recipes that use this prized ingredient respectfully, treating it like gold where the flavour shines without needing lots of it. There are also creative ideas on how to use beeswax and propolis.

With an introduction by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, clear step-by-step practical information by resident River Cottage beekeeper Steve Minshall, and ideas on how to protect our winged friends and engage with bees even if you don’t have space or time for a hive, as well as some astonishing honey recipes, this is an incredible handbook about bees that has something for everyone.