Hollow & Hive Halstead

Hollow & Hive Halstead Small-scale, sustainable beekeeping in Halstead, Essex. Natural honey, straight from our hive.

30/08/2026

And just like that, we are starting our autumn prep already.
The honey supers are off our hives and the bees are building up to give themselves the best chance of survival over winter.
It’s been a long hot summer, which did affect the bees (and us in our bee suits 🥵). The drought reduced nectar flow and the bees had to focus more on cooling the hive. We also didn’t have much luck with the all important Queens this year.
But at the moment, all 3 hives seem to be Queen-right (touchwood) and looking quite strong, despite it all.
We are about to extract for the last time this season so more jars will be available to buy soon 🍯

08/08/2026

Our first batch of Halstead honey of this year may have sold out, but the next one is incoming! 🍯
Just leaving it to settle for a few days after extraction and sieving, then it will be time to jar up and label.

17/07/2026

Celebrating Bees’ Needs Week

As Bees’ Needs Week comes to an end, we’re celebrating the amazing pollinators that help our gardens, countryside and food grow. From honeybees and bumblebees to butterflies, hoverflies and many other insects, every one plays an important role.

This weekend, perhaps see what pollinators are already visiting your garden and think about what small changes could encourage even more?

16/07/2026

Bees’ Needs Week - Let things grow

Sometimes the best thing we can do for pollinators is to just leave a little space for nature.

Wildflowers, long grass and undisturbed patches provide food and shelter for many insects. And when flowers have finished blooming, perhaps leave some spent flower heads standing through the Winter. Seed heads can provide shelter for insects, as well as food for birds, until Spring arrives again.

Those ‘messy’ corners are often full of life. Letting nature be and avoiding pesticides where possible helps create a place where pollinators can thrive.

15/07/2026

Bees’ Needs Week - Don’t forget the water

Flowers are an important source of food for pollinators, but water is just as essential.

Here’s one of our honeybees collecting water to take back to her hive, helping to cool it during hot weather.

A shallow dish of water with a few pebbles or stones sticking out above the surface provides a safe place for pollinators to land and drink.

14/07/2026

Bees’ Needs Week - Planting for pollinators
One of the simplest ways to help pollinators is to plant nectar and pollen-rich flowers that bloom from Spring to Autumn, providing a continuous source of food for bees, butterflies and many other pollinating insects.

A great tip is to plant the same flowers in clusters, such as lavender or salvia, rather than scattering single plants throughout the garden. Larger patches are easier for pollinators to spot and allow them to forage more efficiently before moving on. Whether it’s a garden border, a few pots on the patio or a window box, they all make a difference.

This chunky bumble was visiting foxgloves, whose bell-shaped flowers are suited to larger bees. As they go inside each flower looking for nectar, they help carry pollen from plant to plant.

13/07/2026

This week is Bees’ Needs Week - an annual campaign by the government to raise awareness of the importance of bees and all the other pollinators and things we can do to help them!
From bees and butterflies to hoverflies and beetles, these insects play a huge role in pollinating many of the plants we rely on. Around a third of the food we eat depends on pollination.
Of course, we have a soft spot for one pollinator in particular - the honeybee! As beekeepers, we are lucky enough to see their hard work up close. Here we have a honeybee with her legs absolutely packed with green pollen, pollination in action. We find a rainbow of pollen colours in the hive frames as well.

Our first batch of 2026 Halstead honey is now available! 🍯And this year, our honey jars have increased in size, but we’v...
10/07/2026

Our first batch of 2026 Halstead honey is now available! 🍯

And this year, our honey jars have increased in size, but we’ve actually lowered the price. It’s not often you can say that these days! Now 340g for £7.

We have a limited number of jars available at Halstead Garden Centre, or if you’re local to Halstead, just send us a DM to arrange collection directly from us.

This first harvest is a small batch, so once it’s gone, we’ll be waiting for our main summer harvest. Fingers crossed, there’ll be more honey to come later in the season from our apiaries in Halstead, Braintree and the Marks Tey area.

As always, thank you for supporting our small business and helping us care for our bees. We hope you enjoy this year’s honey as much as we do.

09/07/2026

Sticky season has arrived 🍯
Once back from our holiday, we checked our apiaries and found that a few frames of honey at our Halstead hive were ready to harvest!
We swapped them out and did our first mini extraction of the year. All we do is double-sieve the raw honey to remove any excess wax and debris and it’s ready to go.

Coming soon! But best be quick when it does, as we will only have a limited amount.
We are hoping the main honey harvest will come later in the summer ☀️

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