Richard has been keeping bees for more than twenty years. He is beekeeper at Westonbirt, the National Arboretum, and teaches beekeeping courses around the UK. His one-day course will introduce the important basics of beekeeping to anyone thinking about keeping bees
Book a place onto Richard's Master Class - Beekeeping for Beginners Master Class, 11th April 2025
What excites you about your subject?
Bees have been on this planet for something like 100 million years longer than humans. Although we like to think of ourselves as the pinnacle of evolution, I think it is bees that are the real stars; they are supreme examples of evolutionary adaptation. The way that honey bees organise their societies, build and regulate their nest environment, raise their young, gather food and of course, make honey is extraordinarily sophisticated, mind-boggling, even. They are the most studied animal on Earth - other than Homo sapiens - and yet there is so much we still don't fully understand - just ask Charles Darwin who spent years unsuccessfully trying to understand how bees build honeycomb and even delayed publishing On the Origin of Species fearing that the unfathomable complexity of honey bee life would be put forward by doubters as proof of divine design. From the point of view of gardeners, of course, the simple answer is that without bees, there would be no flowers – and no herbs!
Favourite thing about teaching a master class?
Most people think they know a thing or two about honey bees when they arrive, but I love to see the evolving look on their faces as they begin to realise how little they really know about bees and the fascinating craft of beekeeping. Usually, attendees seem to go through a range of moods from surprise to fascination to trepidation and finally (in most cases) to almost uncontrollable enthusiasm for a newly discovered hobby. Some people walk away looking as if they have been struck by lightning – and I mean that in a good way! I get so many emails from former attendees a few years down the line telling me how much enjoyment they have had from becoming beekeepers and producing their own honey, as well as the increased pleasure they get from their garden as a result.
What will participants learn on your class?
I start at the very beginning – what is a bee and what makes it special. We look at the different kinds of bees before moving on to find out about the honey bee (it’s just one of about 275 species of bee in the UK). Then we look at how the natural lifestyle of the honey bee has been harnessed by beekeepers to allow us to keep them in hives, care for them and harvest a little honey. There is a look at the equipment needed, what places are good for keeping bees, some of the important tasks in the beekeeping year and how much time (and money) your new hobby might take. Most people decide they want to give beekeeping a go, but a few say they have learned a lot and enjoyed themselves but realise it is not for them – and I’m happy with that result.
What is your favourite herb?
That’s tricky. Probably the one I use most is thyme – I’m always nipping out the back door with a pair of scissors for a bit of thyme. My favourite is probably coriander. I grow it a bit but also buy great big, fragrant bunches from the Indian supermarket. I let it flower and collect the seeds too – such a delicious smell when toasted. My wife is Indian but I do most of the Indian cooking in our house. Like a lot of people, she says she can’t abide coriander, but I reckon she would soon complain if I stopped using it in my cooking. Where coriander is grown commercially, beekeepers can harvest a crop of deliciously citrussy honey.
A Fun fact, about your subject linked to herbs.
Honey bees just love flowering herbs and the distinct flavours of various herbs can be detected in the honey made from their nectar. The ancient Greeks treasured the wild thyme honey from mount Hymettus as a medicine – and indeed it does taste a bit like cough medicine! The earliest English beekeeping books dating from about the 1600’s give instructions about what herbs should be grown around beehives. Lemon balm is among the favourite herb for bees; beekeepers rub it around empty hives as a lure to attract passing swarms.
Want to know more?
Book a place onto Richard's Master Class - Beekeeping for Beginners Master Class, 11th April 2025
Alternatively, come and visit the herb farm in South Gloucestershire at one of our Herb Days, Open Days or Herb Experiences.
You can find more about herbs in Jekka’s blog, our past newsletters and videos as well as Jekka's new book '100 Herbs to Grow' and Jekka's existing books, namely 'A Pocketful of Herbs' or Jekka's Complete Herb Book, and also by browsing Jekkapedia and exploring our herb based recipes.
For advice on growing and maintaining herbs, check out ‘Jekka’s Seasonal Tips’ blog series, which includes what to do in your herb garden in early spring, late spring, summer and autumn & winter. Together they form the basis of Jekka’s guide on how to grow herbs.
Please also see Jekka's herbs of the month blogs: Bay (January), Rosemary (February), Salad Burnet (March), French Tarragon (April), Angelica (May), Alliums (June), Lavender (July), Basil (August), Mint (September), Szechuan Pepper (October), Thyme (November) and Curry Tree (December)
Herb plants are available and you can organise a collection from our herb farm in South Gloucestershire or at one of our Open Days. Please see our 'Looking Good List' for availability and use our webform or email your list directly to us (sales@jekkas.com). We no longer offer a general mail order service for our plants but we do offer an occasional limited selection of Jekka's Culinary Herb Boxes.