North Yorkshire honey is best known for heather. Ling covers much of the North York Moors and flowers from mid to late August, when local beekeepers bring their hives up onto the moors; Swales Honey, a family business at Osmotherley, works from the western edge of the moors. Pear Tree Honey Farm at Middleton Tyas, near Richmond, which runs around 2,000 hives, describes the county's usual three crops: a spring honey mainly from oilseed rape, with buttercup, hawthorn and early blossom; a runny summer honey from clover, dandelion, wildflowers and lime; and an autumn heather honey from moorland across North Yorkshire and the County Durham hills.
Away from the moors, Bayview Bees at Flixton, near Scarborough, makes borage, field and forest, spring set and summer blossom honeys; Derwent Honey keeps bees on the banks of the Derwent in the Vale of York; and The Yorkshire Beekeeper at Langcliffe, near Settle, sells honey from the Dales and moorland.
The Yorkshire Beekeepers' Association runs displays at the Great Yorkshire Show, which has its own Hives and Honey Show. In Scarborough Market Hall, The Honeycomb Shop sells Yorkshire honey from hives a few miles away and has a live observation hive. Pear Tree sells wholesale, by the bucket and drum, rather than by the jar.
Use the listing details to choose how to buy, then contact the producer before travelling.
The directory does not track live stock or harvest dates. Availability, collection, delivery, prices and seasonal varieties can change, so ask the producer to confirm what is currently available.
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