Quince Honey Farm
article & photographs by Pamela Green
O
n a recent trip to Devon my husband,
Michael, and I visited The Quince Honey
Farm, in South Molton, Devon. It is one of Britain’s
leading honey farms, and is a family run business.
It was first established in 1949 by George Wallace
with two hives of bees, and is now in its third
generation with 1500 hives dotted around the
local countryside.
When we arrived we were amazed at how interesting
and educational the farm was. There were lots of
families enjoying a day out, and many of the children
were putting on thick gloves which allowed them to
feel a swarm of bees on a honeycomb held by a bee-
keeper, who was housed behind a protective glass
partition.
The talk was interesting, as a beekeeper told us of
how the local honey is aiding children of the area to
overcome hay fever. I recalled a story my mother told
me about how, as a baby I was stung by a wasp on
my neck, and it became swollen and affected my
breathing. I was rushed to hospital and later when we
returned home, the farmer’s wife gave my mother a
jar of her locally produced honey and told my mother
to give me a spoonful every day. It seems that many
believe that if you are fed the honey from your local
area then you become less allergic. I'm not sure if
that's true, and as no wasps have stung me since, I
won’t know until one does.
We learned that the bees take the pollen from rape
flowers in spring, in summer they collect from
summer flowers, and in winter they collect from the
heather on the moors. It is such an interesting place
The Grapevine
and there really is so much to do, and learn. We
watched a Beekeeping Demo, and also sat and
watched as the children made beeswax candles. We
then sampled delicious honeys and watched as the
honey was bottled ready for the shops. The children
went off to get suited up and take part in a lesson on
how to be a Beekeeper, where they would be guided
through the inner workings of a live beehive. In addition
to all of this, there was a large indoor and outdoor
play area, perfect for the kids to buzz around.
After the demos and the candle-making, we decided
to visit The Nectary Restaurant for lunch; it was quiet
and the food was delicious. There is also the Quince
Café which serves tasty treats including their special
honey cream teas. The cafe is attached to the play
areas where parents can watch the children play whilst
they enjoy a cream tea. The shop sells everything to
do with bees, including their range of delicious honey
and honey products, beautiful candles, bags and a
range of other items with bees printed on them. I
purchased several candles for gifts, and a selection
of jars of honey, a jar of honey and lemon mustard,
and a jar of honey and ale chutney.
Quince Honey Farm is recognised as one of ‘Devon’s
Top Attractions’ and won the Visit Devon Tourism
Silver Awards for Best Small Attraction of the Year,
Artistic, Cultural & Learning Experience of the Year,
and Guided Tour of the Year. It is a great day out for
all ages, with something happening every hour of
every day. You can call and book in a school or family
visit, telephone 01769 572401. So why not buzz on
over and have an amazing day out.
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