Princess of Wales tends bees in BJ Sherriff Apiarist suit

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Royal approval for the BJ Sherriff Apiarist beekeeping suit

It is wonderful to see that our beekeeping suits are fit for royalty. The Princess of Wales, Catherine, was photographed tending her bees at Anmer Hall on the Sandringham Estate. She wore our BJ Sherriff Apiarist beekeeping suit during the visit.

Kensington Palace released the image on 20 May 2023 to mark World Bee Day, and royal photographer Matt Porteous captured the moment.

We are delighted and honoured that the Princess chose our suit for her hive inspection. We also thank The Telegraph for the mention and for sharing a little background on BJ Sherriff with royal fans around the world.

The Princess of Wales and her love of beekeeping

The Princess of Wales is no stranger to beekeeping. She keeps bees at Anmer Hall, the home she shares with Prince William on the Sandringham Estate, and she has enjoyed the hobby for several years.

In 2021, she visited the Natural History Museum in London and brought a jar of her own Anmer Hall honey for children to try. The visit formed part of the museum’s Urban Nature Project.

Alongside the photograph, the Prince and Princess of Wales’ official account posted: “We are buzzing about #WorldBeeDay. Bees are a vital part of our ecosystem, and today is a great opportunity to raise awareness of the essential role bees and other pollinators play in keeping people and the planet healthy.”

Beekeeping also runs in the family. Her brother, James Middleton, has spoken publicly about taking up beekeeping at their former family home. He described it as a meditative practice that helped him manage stress and anxiety.

The royal family’s connection with bees extends even further. Queen Camilla is president of Bees for Development, a charity that trains beekeepers and protects bee habitats in more than 50 countries. She also keeps her own bees at Raymill in Wiltshire.

In addition, Buckingham Palace and Clarence House both keep bees, and palace kitchens use the honey they produce.

About the BJ Sherriff Apiarist beekeeping suit

The BJ Sherriff Apiarist is our original best-selling beekeeping suit. We first designed it in 1968, and we still make every suit by hand in Cornwall, England.

For more than 55 years, beekeepers around the world have trusted the Apiarist. It remains a popular choice for hobby beekeepers with a single hive and professional apiarists managing hundreds.

A beekeeping suit fit for royalty — and everyday beekeepers

The Apiarist is built to last. Its roomy design fits comfortably over regular clothing and includes drop sleeves, a robust central vertical zip, and our unique twin-zip throw-back hood.

Beekeepers can unzip the hood and rest it on the shoulders. They can also remove it completely for laundering.

Designed for comfort and visibility

The ClearView veil is exclusive to BJ Sherriff. The fine black nylon mesh includes hundreds of tiny woven holes for excellent all-round visibility.

As a result, the suit offers strong ventilation and a light, airy feel during long hive inspections.

The average lifespan of a Sherriff Apiarist suit is more than 15 years, which makes it a long-term investment in quality and protection. In addition, the suit conforms to CE BS EN ISO 13688:2015, the European standard for protective clothing.

The Apiarist is available in a range of bee-friendly colours. If you would like to shop the suit worn by the Princess of Wales, you can explore the full range on our Apiarist product pages.

Read more in the Telegraph

Gordon Ramsay, Gino & Fred beekeeping in Greece wearing our Apiarists suits

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Some months ago, we received an exciting request from Gordon Ramsay ’s PA to supply our Apiarist beekeeping suits for an upcoming television filming project in Greece. Naturally, we were delighted to help.

The filming formed part of Gordon, Gino and Fred’s Road Trip, the popular travel and food series that follows Gordon Ramsay, Gino D’Acampo and Fred Sirieix as they explore different countries, cultures and cuisines together.

For this particular episode, the trio travelled through the dramatic mountain landscapes of Greece in their famous blue Volkswagen camper van. Their journey took them up the winding roads to the breathtaking region of Meteora, where ancient Orthodox monasteries perch high on towering rock formations.

Gordon Ramsay, with Gino, Fred and Orthodox nuns

At the top of the mountain road, Gordon, Gino and Fred were greeted by three Orthodox nuns who introduced them to the fascinating world of monastic beekeeping. Before getting close to the hives, the presenters suited up in our BJ Sherriff Apiarist beekeeping suits for protection and comfort during the hive inspection.

The Apiarist suit proved ideal for filming in the warm Greek climate. Its lightweight feel, breathable design and excellent visibility allowed the presenters to move comfortably while learning more about the bees and honey production at the monastery.

The episode also gave viewers a glimpse into the importance of bees within traditional food production and rural communities. Meanwhile, the stunning backdrop of Meteora made the experience even more memorable.

We were thrilled to see our handmade beekeeping suits featured during such a unique and entertaining segment. It is always rewarding to know that our suits are trusted not only by professional and hobby beekeepers around the world, but also for international television productions.

The BJ Sherriff Apiarist suit has been handmade in Cornwall, England since 1968 and remains one of the most recognised and trusted beekeeping suits available today.

You can watch the clip from the episode here:

YouTube video

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=GQiJ3D_7RXE

Your Queens will be lost without one!

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Thank you so much to Mary who has tested our latest innovation – the QueenSafe ™Bag! and loves our new product!

Please see what she has to say about BJ Sherriff’s QueenSafe Bag in our Testimonials.

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” Wow! The QueenSafe bag arrived today!

Thank you so much.

It’s great.

It lives up to its photo and more.

It’s compact when folded, but very roomy with plenty of space for hands and tools when open.

We like the adjustable sleeve fastenings, the sleeve length is good, and the mesh panel has plenty of space to see what’s happening inside.

It’s lightweight, comfortable, and flexible to wear, the white panel gives good visibility, and the cuffs standing away from the arms give space to work.

I have given it its own bag to prevent it snagging when we take it out.

We love the Your queens will be lost slogan as well.

Mary 25 March 2021 “

The Bee Team 2021 Bee Calendar – Supporting Young Beekeepers

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The young beekeepers from The Bee Team have created this beautifully photographed 2021 bee calendar. Notably, the photographer behind the lens is only eleven years old. As a result, this calendar celebrates both bees and young talent. In fact, we believe she has a bright future in nature photography.

Meanwhile, the young beekeepers look fantastic throughout the calendar. In particular, they proudly wear their Junior Apiarist Sherriff suits, and we think they look absolutely brilliant ♥.

Support Beekeeping Education

Importantly, this calendar supports a primary school young persons’ initiative. The project raises funds for the Bee Team’s educational beekeeping club. Therefore, when you purchase this calendar, you directly support hands-on learning. At the same time, you receive a calendar you can enjoy all year.

About the Calendar

The Bee Team 2021 calendar features 12 beautiful photographs, one for each month. Furthermore, all images were taken in and around the Bee Team apiary and grounds in Kendal, Cumbria.

All photographs were captured by Lily, age 11. Notably, she won Cumbria Wildlife Trust Young Photographer of the Year 2020 in her age category. As a result, this calendar highlights exceptional young talent and a genuine love of nature.

Importantly, all proceeds raised go directly towards caring for the honeybees. In addition, funds support continued education and learning for the children and young people involved with The Bee Team.

Why Buy This Calendar?

  • Supports children’s beekeeping education

  • Features award-winning wildlife photography

  • Raises funds for honeybee care

  • Makes a thoughtful and ethical gift

Additional Information

In addition, you can follow the Bee Team on social media. Find them on Twitter and Instagram: @BeekeepingKids.

Finally, BJ Sherriff are proud to support this initiative. As a bonus, they are offering free shipping on this product.

Product Details

  • Year: 2021

  • Dimensions: 30 × 21 cm

  • Photographer: Lily, age 11

  • Cause: Youth beekeeping education

Christmas Offer: Honey Soap & Beeswax Skep Candle Hamper

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Treat someone you love this Christmas with BJ Sherriff’s gorgeous, high-end luxury Honey Soap and Beeswax Skep Candle hamper.

The Devon made hamper box is hand crafted and the luxury Acacia Honey Shea Butter and Honey & Camomile large size soaps are made in the heart of English countryside, with the star of the show a Skep-shaped Beeswax Candle made in Scotland.

At just £49.99 each plus postage, these are selling fast and right now we only have 4 available in stock as we wait for the solid wood hamper boxes to be made.

BJ Sherriff will soon be creating our own exclusive range of quality gifts on a bee theme – watch this space!

You can also get your hands on our best-selling nutritional supplement for bees, HiveAlive, this December for the super low price of just £12.

HiveAlive is a simple, safe nutritional supplement that has been developed and manufactured in Ireland following 6 years of internationally validated research. This easy-to-use supplement is added to sugar syrup and results in stronger, more productive bee colonies.

Use HiveAlive to keep all your hives healthy over the winter and promote intestinal well-being among all your colonies.

Recent trials performed by the Hellenic Institute of Apiculture in Greece and French pharmaceutical company Veto-pharma showed increased population, brood and honey production in colonies routinely given HiveAlive.

Protective beekeeping clothing for charity project

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Care For Life is a Christian Charity, whose Patron is HRH The Countess of Wessex GCVO.

The charity provides life long care to a wide variety of adults of all ages. The care services which the charity offers ranges from residential provisions for deeply vulnerable people, run from two properties based in Leeds, to the support of more than 250 people at any given time in their own homes.

Alongside care services which the charity provides, the housing support team also deliver therapeutic care for up to 60 people each day at the residential home based at Crag House Farm, in Cookridge Leeds.

As part of the charity’s conservation project, the team and people which the project supports, have taken-up bee keeping to build upon individual wellbeing and happiness.

Members of the Care For Life team purchased four apiarist suits online for the project before coming to BJ Sherriff. All four suits had disintegrated, with zips failing and tearing after first use. The staff needed to identify a reputable and reliable supplier of good quality suits and equipment. A volunteer of the project recommended BJ Sherriff.

We were really thrilled to help the people involved in the project.

Peter Parkinson, co-founder of the charity, said: “The response I received was enormously gratifying.

“I was connected to a lady who was immensely helpful, not at all frustrated by my total ignorance of all things apiaristic and advised me with an extraordinary lack of partiality as to the best way forward. To say we have found this company to be helpful would be the understatement – they have been magnificent.

“The products we ordered were delivered in exceptionally good time and have proved to be absolutely superb. The suits have been brilliant and more than capable of the wear and tear to which they are being subjected at Caring For Life.

“In B J Sherriff we have found our suppliers and I would imagine this is a relationship that will stand for not just years but generations to come.”