Northumberland honey follows the seasons – spring blossom and crops, summer wildflowers, then heather on the moors in late summer – and many producers here sell heather honey as a separate jar. Hedgeley Honey, with hives in the Breamish Valley, sells Northumbrian Blossom, Heather and Borage honeys, and Chain Bridge Honey Farm sells both its Tweedside honey and a heather honey.
The county has two big bee farms. Chain Bridge Honey Farm at Horncliffe, near Berwick-upon-Tweed, was started in 1948 by beekeeping adviser William Selby Robson and now has nearly 1,500 hives within 40 miles of Berwick, with a free visitor centre, museum and shop close to the Union Chain Bridge over the Tweed. In the west, Northumberland Honey Co keeps more than 400 colonies in the Tyne and Irthing valleys and makes mead in Haltwhistle.
Smaller producers mostly sell at farmers' markets and through local shops – Alnwick Market and the Morpeth and Hexham farmers' markets all appear on their lists. For local beekeepers and swarm help, try Alnwick and District Beekeepers Association, which has records going back to the 1890s, or Hexham Beekeepers Association.
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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