about us

Our BEES

Horwich Honey - Horwich, Bolton. UK - derek@horwichhoney.com

Horwich Honey maintains healthy stocks of dark northern British Honey Bees.


Our apiaries are positioned to allow the bees to forage over a wide range of general flora: avoiding mono source forage. Horwich Honey therefore can be said to produce raw honey that can be termed “Blossom Honey”.


Detailed records are maintained about each colonies progress and state of health. Annual medication regimes are recorded in detail for each honeybee colony.

Horwich Honey provides honey which has been produced by its own Honey Bee colonies in and around the Horwich area. Horwich Honey currently has four active apiary’s: Ridgmont, New Chapel, Haigh and Red Moss. Horwich Honey's Apiary’s are recorded on the Animal and Plant Health Agency (APHA) National Bee Unit (DEFRA) website and are available for inspection by the Regional Bee Inspector at any time.


Horwich Honey's founder: Derek Cartwright is a registered beekeeper with the British Beekeeping Association (BBKA) and started keeping bees in 1990 as a hobby. Derek had a break from beekeeping to focus on his family and work and decided to recommence keeping bees in 2011. Since then, Derek has been slowly increasing the number of apiary's and colonies he keeps and in 2015 started operating under the name 'Horwich Honey' with the assistance of his family.


Horwich Honey maintains many traditional beekeeping methods and, although we do produce and sell honey,  our primary focus is always the health and well-being of our colonies