The humble bee is arguably one of the most fascinating creatures on the planet, so when I had a chance to cosplay as a keeper for a day, I jumped at it.
Why do you ask? Well, honey bees are crucial for both food production and ecosystem health due to their role as pollinators.
From fruits to vegetables and nuts, the honey bee also contributes to the pollination of plants that support livestock and other wildlife.
In other words, they’re sodding hard workers. Why did the bees go on strike? They wanted more honey and shorter working flowers. Ba dum tss.
De Vere Cranage Estate in Cheshire (Image: Newsquest)
At the De Vere Cranage Estate in Cheshire, you now have the chance to get up close and personal with the bees and spend the day with volunteers who will give you a thorough education.
They said: “Our course includes bee workshops; an outdoor habitat walk in our 20 acres of grounds; live interactions with bees (beekeeping suit included); honey tasting, and a buffet lunch in our Tempus Restaurant. The day includes unlimited tea and coffee and refreshments.”
And what an experience it was.
When I arrived, I met the charming general manager Richard, who gave me a short tour before taking me into the lounge. The Cranage Estate is a beautiful building that radiates elegance. Honestly, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a countryside hotel quite like it.
Not just for the inside, but the stunning grounds as well. It recently won ‘Best sustainable team in the country’, and you can see why.
Their love for wildlife – not just bees – shines through as soon as you set foot on the estate. From the flower gardens to butterflies and the bees, it’s a place that clearly cares about conservation.
For £120, you can join the Cheshire Beekeeping Society for the day, 10am – 4pm, on 29th August.
Throughout the day, the three master beekeepers took us back to school. Each was a volunteer, and perhaps the most passionate trio I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Their love for bees was heartwarming.
I’ll admit, I have never given much thought to bees before, so I was amazed when the facts and figures started coming out.
From the many, many medicinal uses of honey (Google it, there are tonnes) to the quarrel they have with supermarkets, I learnt a lot.
For instance, they explained that you should never buy supermarket honey, as it undercuts all the work beekeepers do, according to the masters.
Did you know that honey is the third most fraudulent product? Behind olive oil and milk. Yep, that’s right, the Mafia now have its paws in the honey pot. Picture a Pooh Bear with a pencil moustache and a cigarette in hand.
A humbling bumbling experience. (Image: Newsquest)
Sadly, I could not seem to shift this image for what could have been an hour or more. When I said I went back to school, I meant it. My attention span has been decimated by social media over the years, and I missed out on half of the experience by simply daydreaming.
For instance, I could not have been more embarrassed when they started asking questions to see how much we’d learnt. “So, why do the drones (male bees) only have a grandfather and not a father?”
What the hell am I supposed to say to that? Do bees have deadbeat dads as well?
As people started talking among themselves, pondering the question, I went a shade of scarlet and sat back, praying no one would ask me why certain bees come from a broken home.
My phone and TikTok have both truly melted my brain. But it was a needed lesson. I was now determined not to waste any more of the experience.
Back in the room, Matthew.
There are 249 endangered bees and only one that isn’t. Yep, that’s right, the honey bee – for now – is in pretty safe hands. Sadly for them, however, they were soon to be in mine, as the suits had now arrived.
We made our way over to the hives, dressed like a cross between Breaking Bad and The Hundred Acre Wood, Winnie White, if you will, with a spring in my step as the buzzing grew louder.
Our task was simple: find the queen bee. It might sound boring to you, looking for a slightly larger bee, but by jove, I got a right kick out of it.
Shifting from panel to panel carefully, we took our time searching for the elusive Beyoncé. We got swarmed pretty quickly, but don’t worry, the suits do their job.
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It’s quite a surreal experience being in the eye of the honey bee storm, but one I would certainly recommend. You get a feeling of invincibility; you’re in their kingdom but are largely untouchable.
Before long, I pulled a slide and found her, the queen bee in all her glory. When I woke up that morning, I did not expect to get so excited at spotting a 2.5cm insect later that afternoon. I had caught the bee bug.
After we finished keeping, we were treated to some honey cocktails to finish off our day. Don’t knock it before you’ve tried it; it was delicious.
The bees taught me a lot, which I did not expect from the experience. Mainly, I need to be more present and get off my phone.
If you’re going to go to an experience, then actually experience it.
