The Urban Beekeeper

Overview

A hugely inspiring, practical diary of urban beekeepingSteve Benbow's enormous success with urban beekeeping shows how easy it is to keep bees, whether you're in the city or the countryside, a beginner or an experienced beekeeper. You'll never look back once you've tasted your very own sticky, golden honey, or lit a candle made from the beeswax from your beehive. Steve Benbow is a visionary beekeeper whose bees forage in parks, cemeteries, along railway lines, and in window boxes, and because of the diversity of the plants and trees in the city, produce far richer honey and greater yields than they would in rural areas. This fact-filled diary and practical guide to beekeeping follows a year in the life of Steve and his bees and shows how keeping bees and making your own delicious honey is something anyone can do. It is a tempting glimpse into a sunlit lifestyle that starts with the first rays of the morning and ends with the warm glow of sunset, filled with oozing honeycomb, recipes for sensational honey-based dishes, and honey that tastes like sunshine. A hugely affectionate but practical diary of a beekeeper's year and the immense satisfaction of harvesting your own delicious honey. Read it and join the revolution.

Reviews

"For me, a novice bee keeper, it is not only a great insight into the world of bees but is also full of practical, useful information."  —Jekka McVicar, author, The Complete Herb Bible

"An informative and often touching book... Enthralling."  —Spectator

Author Biography

Steve Benbow built his first hive on his rooftop 10 years ago, with no experience. Today, he runs hives across London's greatest landmarks, including both Tate galleries, Fortnum & Mason, and The National Gallery. He supplies honey to Fortnum & Mason, Harvey Nichols, the Savoy tearooms, Harrods, and chefs including Gordon Ramsay and Marcus Wareing; sells at farmers markets; and teaches beekeeping.