Local Honey in Antrim
Find honey in Antrim on the map
County Antrim has the oldest beekeeping association in Northern Ireland: the Mid Antrim Beekeeping Association, founded in 1941, which keeps an apiary and honeybee observation house near Cullybackey. The East Antrim Beekeepers' Association, formed the same year, covers the area from Glenarm to Whiteabbey, Ballyclare and Doagh. Each autumn the Ulster Beekeepers' Association holds its annual honey show at CAFRE's Greenmount Campus outside Antrim town; it is open to the public, with local honey on sale.
Braidwater Apiaries in Ballymena raises the native dark honey bee on sites across the county and sells honey, queens and nucs. Red Hut Honey in Newtownabbey is run by a retired biology teacher whose bees forage mainly along the hedgerows of the Belfast hills above Glengormley, and on borage, bramble and dandelion in a large organic garden.
Explore Antrim by town
Beekeeping landscape and local forage
The hedgerow is central here: hawthorn, blackthorn, willow and bramble line small fields across the county and give colonies a long, continuous season rather than a few enormous crops. Clover-rich grazing pasture — the mainstay of Antrim farming — supplies the summer flow. On the plateau and through the Glens, ling heather flowers from August, and beekeepers within reach of the uplands can take a heather crop. Ivy matters more in Ireland than most people realise: it flowers heavily into October and gives colonies a substantial late store, and some producers bottle it separately. Belfast's parks, the Lagan corridor and mature suburban gardens support a growing number of city apiaries.
What Antrim honey can taste like
Soft-set clover and hedgerow honey through summer; darker heather from the Glens; distinctive white, sharply flavoured ivy honey in late autumn.
Seasonal forage calendar
| Month | Typical forage and colony activity |
|---|---|
| January | Nothing. Mild but wet and windy. |
| February | Hazel, snowdrop, crocus. Willow in sheltered spots. |
| March | Sallow and blackthorn in the hedgerows. Gorse — plentiful and long-flowering. |
| April | Dandelion in the pastures. Fruit blossom in gardens. Sycamore starting. |
| May | Hawthorn along every hedgerow — the county's most reliable May flow. Sycamore. |
| June | White clover across the grazing pasture. Bramble opens. |
| July | Clover and bramble in full flow. Lime in Belfast. Rosebay willowherb. |
| August | Ling heather on the plateau and in the Glens. Late bramble. |
| September | Heather finishes. Ivy begins — a major Irish autumn source. |
| October | Ivy in quantity. Colonies still active in the mild coastal climate. |
| November | Occasional ivy on mild days. |
| 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 Antrim
Belfast, Ballymena, Antrim, Carrickfergus, Larne, Newtownabbey, Ballycastle, Lisburn
Frequently asked questions
What is ivy honey and why do Antrim beekeepers mention it?
Ivy flowers from September into November and is a heavy nectar source in Ireland's mild autumn. Its honey sets almost white and hard, with a sharp, slightly medicinal flavour. Most is left on the hive as winter stores, but some producers take a little off — it is an acquired taste and a genuinely local one.
Can I get heather honey from the Glens of Antrim?
Yes, in small quantities from beekeepers with access to the uplands. Ling flowers from August on the basalt plateau and the honey comes off in September. As with all heather crops it is weather-dependent and limited, so contact producers directly in late summer.
Buying local honey in Antrim
Use the listing details to choose how to buy, then contact the seller before travelling.
- 2 active directory listings currently appear for Antrim.
- 1 listing is marked as raw honey.
- 1 listing reports an outlet.
- Opening information is supplied on 1 listing.
- 2 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
Braidwater Apiaries
Ballymena, Antrim
Native dark bee specialists producing pure natural Co. Antrim honey, queens and nucs.
Red Hut Honey
Newtownabbey, Antrim