Local Honey Whitwell

Raw honey from Whitwell Honey and Bees, a husband-and-wife team of biologists who have kept bees around the Derbyshire village of Whitwell for 30 years. Simon and Carol's only processing is a coarse filter to take out bits of wax before jarring.

They keep enough hives to sell honey all year, in a good spread of varieties: oilseed rape, lime (from native linden trees), field bean, mixed spring blossom, mixed summer blossom and a dark moorland honey that is mostly heather, plus cut comb sold by weight. They build hives from recycled materials and wash and reuse jars, paying back a little on returned 1lb jars.

You can collect from their home in Whitwell, or they deliver free within about five miles. Jars can be decorated as wedding favours, and there are honey dippers, gift bags, bee-themed gifts and Carol's own bee paintings, prints and cards.

For beekeepers they sell nucleus colonies on National, Langstroth and 14x12 frames and give ongoing help to newcomers – you can even join Carol on an apiary inspection. They are registered with the BBKA as local swarm collectors and will collect swarms free of charge.