Local Honey in Kent
Kent's honey reflects its orchards, fruit farms and woodland. Bramble Farm Bees near Maidstone describes its forage as wildflowers, orchard blossom and hedgerows; David and Celia Rudland produce two honeys from bees kept on strawberry and raspberry farms; and the Broadwater Forest honey sold by Botanica Health in Tunbridge Wells comes from an apiary beside Broadwater Warren nature reserve, where the bees work hawthorn, bramble, sweet chestnut and heather.
Kent Beekeepers Association does most of its work through local branches and has long been involved with the Kent County Show at Detling, where the Mid Kent branch exhibits every year; Mid Kent also holds its own honey show. On the north coast, Whitstable & Herne Bay Beekeepers lists members with honey for sale between Whitstable, Faversham, Herne Bay and Canterbury.
Most honey on this page is sold direct: Bray's Bees and Bramble Farm Bees at farmers' markets and online, Hayes Honey through its own shop, and Home Grown Honey at Matfield for collection by prior arrangement.
Explore Kent by town
- Local honey in Boxley
- Local honey in Maidstone
- Local honey in Matfield
- Local honey in Tonbridge
- Local honey in Tunbridge Wells
- Local honey in Whitstable
Beekeeping landscape and local forage
Apple, pear and cherry orchards across the Medway valley and the mid-Kent fruit belt give a spring blossom flow, and colonies are still moved in for pollination. The Weald's sweet chestnut coppice flowers in July and produces the dark, tannic honey that Kent is quietly known for among people who buy honey seriously. On the North Downs, chalk grassland brings clover, trefoil and marjoram, and the escarpment woods add lime and beech. Borage and oilseed rape appear on the arable land towards Thanet and the Isle of Sheppey. Along the coast, from Whitstable round to Sandwich, dune and marsh flora extend the range further.
What Kent honey can taste like
Delicate and pale from the orchard spring crop; dark, tannic and long-finishing where sweet chestnut dominates in July.
Seasonal forage calendar
| Month | Typical forage and colony activity |
|---|---|
| January | Little, though the mild coastal strip gives occasional flying days. |
| February | Hazel, crocus, snowdrop. Willow. One of the earliest starts in Britain. |
| March | Blackthorn and early cherry blossom in the fruit belt. |
| April | Apple and pear blossom in quantity. Dandelion. Oilseed rape towards Thanet. |
| May | Late orchard blossom, hawthorn, sycamore, horse chestnut. |
| June | Clover and downland flora on the North Downs. Bramble opens. Field beans. |
| July | Sweet chestnut in the Weald — the county's signature crop. Lime in Canterbury and Maidstone. Borage. |
| August | Bramble, willowherb, buddleia. Hops flowering in the remaining hop gardens. |
| September | Ivy in quantity. Coastal flora still working. |
| October | Ivy. Mild autumns keep colonies flying late. |
| November | Occasional mild-day foraging. |
| December | Negligible. |
Flowering times are typical and can shift by two to three weeks with the weather, season and altitude.
Places to find local honey in Kent
Canterbury, Maidstone, Tunbridge Wells, Ashford, Whitstable, Sittingbourne, Faversham, Sevenoaks
Frequently asked questions
Where can I buy Kentish sweet chestnut honey?
From beekeepers working the Weald — roughly the belt between Tunbridge Wells, Cranbrook and Ashford. Chestnut flowers in July and the honey is usually available from August. It is dark, strong and slightly bitter, and it is not to everyone's taste, so try a small jar first.
Is Kent honey available earlier in the year than elsewhere?
Often, yes. Kent's mild climate and early orchard blossom mean the first honey can be ready by late May, weeks ahead of northern counties. If you want spring honey rather than the main summer crop, Kent producers are among the first in the country to have it.
Buying local honey in Kent
Use the listing details to choose how to buy, then contact the seller before travelling.
- 9 active directory listings currently appear for Kent.
- 7 listings are marked as raw honey.
- 2 listings report an outlet.
- Opening information is supplied on 2 listings.
- 5 listings have a verified webshop link.
- 4 listings also note other beekeeping products.
The directory does not track live stock or harvest dates. Availability, collection, delivery, prices and seasonal varieties can change, so ask the seller to confirm what is currently available.
Honey producers and beekeepers
Botanica Health - Broadwater Forest / Tunbridge Wells Honey
Tunbridge Wells, Kent
Raw woodland honey from a small apiary near Broadwater Warren Nature Reserve, Tunbridge Wells.
Bramble Farm Bees
Maidstone, Kent
Bramble Farm Bees produces local honey from apiaries in Kent.
Bray's Bees
Maidstone, Kent
Kent-based beekeepers Vince and Sue Bray selling pure raw honey and beeswax products.
Canterbury & Whitstable Honey Co.
Whitstable, Kent
Pure - Raw - Local Honey. Cold extracted & coarsely filtered straight from hive to jar. Family-run apiaries in Canterbury & Whitstable. Produce of Kent, England.
Capel Honey
Tonbridge, Kent
I keep a few hives in my garden and sell whatever we don’t use ourselves.
David & Celia Rudland (via Hive & Keeper)
Husband and wife beekeepers producing raw honey across Surrey and Kent apiaries.
Hayes Honey
Boxley, Kent
Raw honey from a Kent family's own apiaries at Boxley, Bearsted, Lenham and Hucking, sold by apiary, with beeswax candles and bee days.
Home Grown Honey
Matfield, Kent
Raw honey from Kent fields, hedgerows and woodlands, produced by Bee Farmers Association members.
Whitstable & Herne Bay Beekeepers
Whitstable, Kent
Local beekeeping association selling honey from members' hives across Whitstable, Herne Bay, Faversham and Canterbury.