The Birds & the Bees

A joint desire to promote and enhance the bee and pollinator population in Wales has led to an innovative project involving two otherwise unconnected businesses.

They come from different parts of the food industry, but Ellis Eggs Ltd and Bee Welsh Honey have a common desire to boost the fortunes of bees and pollinators and highlight their vital impact on the environment. So Jason Ellis, owner of the Hirwaun-based egg company, and Builth Wells bee farmer Shane Llewellyn-Jones have forged a collaboration that is already benefitting the environment and potentially creating commercial opportunities.

Jason’s interest in the vital role of bees and pollinators was sparked by reading articles and watching nature programmes. Wanting to make a positive and practical contribution towards the bee population, the company has sponsored the creation of a new apiary of 12 hives sited in Mid Wales.

A family-run business based at a state-of-the-art egg packing facility in Rhondda Cynon Taff, Ellis Eggs sells free-range eggs produced by 275,000 hens on eight Welsh farms. Jason said: “As a business, we use lorries and vans and so we’re trying to offset their effect on the environment, and we’ve also installed solar panels. Bees are such small creatures, yet they play an important part in the ecosystem. What we are doing is not going to save the world or change the planet, but we are doing our bit.”

Creating a buzz

The two entrepreneurs have been brought together by the Welsh Honey Cluster, part of the Food & Drink Wales Clusters initiative to foster connections between businesses in the sector.

Shane said: “Jason was put in touch with me as he wanted to support bees and their sustainability. I suggested he sponsor some hives, and the result is a project that’s bringing birds and the bees together for the benefit of the environment.”

With a fascination for bees stretching back to childhood, Shane created the multi-award-winning Bee Welsh Honey Company and has more than 200 hives in apiaries throughout Mid Wales. Shane, who is also a regional bee inspector, bred the bees and advised Jason on the siting of the hives for the project, which cones at a time when the number of bees is in decline globally.

Shane said: “All’s going well, and currently there are a dozen Ellis Eggs hives in the Brecon Beacons. The hives are in a good spot, at the right altitude, and on a farm that grows wildflowers and cover crops that are beneficial to pollinators.”

Egging them on

Welsh Honey Cluster lead Haf Wyn Hughes said: “Many people don’t realise the level of investment required to set up hives on a commercial basis. One of the major barriers to growth for beekeepers is access to sufficient funds, as most in Wales don’t own their own land. So having a company like Ellis Eggs take such a keen interest in the sustainability of beekeeping and commit to funding hives is very welcome indeed. I hope more enterprises will consider doing likewise.”

It is early days for the alliance, but already there are hopes to increase the number of hives and even create a new honey brand. Meanwhile, the collaboration has inspired a new brand from Ellis Eggs, Beeloved Farms, on sale in CK Stores in Wales. The egg boxes – which feature bees and hives – are made from a minimum of 50% grass and are 100% compostable and recyclable.

A member of the Fine Food Cluster, Jason said: “It’s all part of trying to look out for our children’s future. I thought it was time we changed our way of doing things. I knew of fruit being packed in grass boxes and found out an egg box could be made from it too.”

Minister for Rural Affairs and North Wales, and Trefynydd, Lesley Griffiths said: “This initiative is a great example of how businesses can work collaboratively to help protect our precious environment.”