Welsh Honey

My interest in beekeeping was first sparked while working with a former Royal Navy Major who was also a beekeeper. His stories and enthusiasm stayed with me, and eventually I had the opportunity to experience beekeeping for myself.

When I moved house in 2017, I discovered that another beekeeper lived just a few doors away. He became my mentor, sharing his knowledge and experience and helping me establish my first apiary.

From that first hive, things grew steadily. Each year I added another colony, gradually expanding until one apiary was no longer enough and I began looking for new sites across South Wales.

I had spent many years working in computer software, and beekeeping became an escape from the digital world — a chance to spend time outdoors, work with nature and do something completely different. What began as a hobby gradually became a much bigger part of my life and eventually developed into a full-time opportunity.

At the heart of Maes Gwyn Hives is a genuine passion for bees and their environment. Honey bees and other pollinators face increasing pressures from disease, parasites, habitat loss and changes to the countryside. We want to play our small part in helping bees thrive, while producing local honey and encouraging a greater understanding of these remarkable insects.

Maes Gwyn Hives is a family-run business, with all of our colonies based in South Wales. Our apiaries are currently located in Groesfaen, Blackmill, the Swansea Valley and Treharris, allowing our bees to forage across a diverse range of countryside, farmland, woodland and wildflowers.

What started with a single hive has grown into something we are enormously passionate about — caring for our bees, producing genuinely local Welsh honey and helping to ensure that bees continue to have a place in our countryside for generations to come.