Podcast Episode 76: Gruffydd Rees from Carmarthenshire, Wales UK
It is always inspiring to meet beekeepers from all parts of the globe who are passionate about caring for honey bees - and producing pure, raw, local honey - and Gruffydd Rees is a perfect example. Hailing from South Wales, Gruffydd was originally gifted a hive by a local farmer, and from humble beginnings at the bottom of his parent’s garden, this quickly multiplied into around a hundred hives dotted around the countryside of rural Carmarthenshire. In 2010, along with his wife Angharad, he founded Gwenyn Gruffydd, a small business bent on producing the highest quality, all natural, untreated, 100% raw, Welsh wildflower honey. Even his two young sons get involved! Gwenyn Gruffydd’s honey is single origin, never blended, and undergoes minimal filtration; numerous awards attest to the quality of the product!
After a small time away over spring its great to be back and I introduce you to Gruffydd from Wales to episode 76!
In addition to premium wildflower honey, Gruffydd produces a range of other items including hampers, beeswax candles, peat-free compost and bee-friendly wildflower seeds. He also offers beekeeping training, mentoring and experience days, as well as a full range of beekeeping supplies. Gwenyn Gruffydd has instituted an ‘Adopt a Beehive’ scheme to help arrest the decline of honey bees and is also active in promoting the benefits of sowing wildflower seeds to provide valuable food and shelter for pollinators.
Even better, Gruffydd is up for a chat, and I am delighted that he was able to feature in our latest podcast. We touched on the proud history of his native Wales, and I was surprised to learn that Welsh is still the first language taught to children - English comes later. We also discussed beekeeping issues peculiar to the region; one unusual problem that Welsh beekeepers have to contend with is woodpeckers making holes in the side of hives! I had not heard of this before and it’s pretty cool, although obviously bad for the bees. Some beekeepers apparently put bird wire around their hives to prevent this from happening. Occasionally, badgers (the closest European equivalent to wombats) can also become cause for concern, as they may knock hives over.
https://gwenyngruffydd.co.uk/