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It is a lucky person who can turn their hobby into a business but such is Henry Baxendell’s good fortune.

Henry has turned his passion for bees into Bax Bees, a honey business in Plumley.

‘I have been interested in bees ever since I was 14, as a hobby. My mother bought me membership to the Beekeepers Association on my 14th birthday and it was the best present she could ever give me,’ he recalls.

‘Then five or six years ago I started doing it commercially. I did all the artisan markets and then two-and-a half years ago opened the Honey House here in Plumley.’

The beauty of the location on Plumley Moor Road is that he has access to the grand estates of Tatton, The Crown Estate and Tabley, as well as smaller farms.

He’ll find out what is being grown and move his bees around to pollinate each area. The bees then produce the honey which is sold in the shop. It’s a win-win for the beekeeper and the farmers.

Explains Henry: ‘The farmers can increase their yield by up to 30 per cent.’

The shop, which is run by his brother Rick, sells a wide variety of honey from 150 hives.

‘The biggest crop is oilseed rape which makes really good honey,’ Henry explains.

‘We also do honey infused with organic herbs and spices, including lemon, ginger and cinnamon which is good for colds and raw pollen honey that is used by hayfever sufferers to alleviate their symptoms.’

With the Manchester bee symbol now a major trend, there has been an upsurge of interest in bees and at Bax Bees customers can actually witness how honey is produced via an observation hive and honey extracting room.

‘Originally I thought we would get the classic Cheshire customer but since the shop opened it has been surprising how diverse a group our customers are,’ admits Henry.

Bax Bees, Plumley Moor Road, Plumley, Knutsford, WA16 0TZ 07722 249552 baxbees.co.uk