Local Honey Bolton

Raw local honey from Bearded Barista Honey, a small family beekeeping business in Summerseat, near Bury, with more than 20 hives across nine apiaries around Ramsbottom and Haslingden. It began in 2000 out of a love of bees, and the hives are looked after by beekeeper Lee.

The apiaries include Holly Mount Orchard, a farm site looking out over the Ramsbottom valley, the bee yard at Ramsbottom Fire Station and hives tucked into the trees at Nuttall Park. The heather honey comes from the Haslingden apiary up on the moors – a long push with a wheelbarrow. Nothing is added to the honey, and the bees aren't fed sugar where it can be avoided. Visits to the bees at Holly Mount Orchard are welcome by appointment, and there is space there for beginner beekeepers to keep their own hives.

There's no shop, but the honey is sold over the counter at Nuttall Park Tea Room in Ramsbottom (open at weekends, subject to volunteers) and at Tottington Village Butchers. Honey, beeswax candles, beeswax ornaments and gifts can also be ordered online.

The wax melts and candles are made at home, using the business's own beeswax where supply allows and UK-sourced wax otherwise, and melts can be scented to order. Lee also collects honey bee swarms free of charge, removes established colonies from buildings (a charge may apply, and bigger jobs are referred to specialist removers), and goes into schools and local groups with Summerseat Village Community to talk about bees.