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Our conversations on craft continue this month with third-generation beekeeper, James Hamill

words by Will HALBERT

How would you describe your craft? 
Looking after the welfare of British honeybees.

What is your favourite part about what you do?
The quiet time alone away from all modern distractions, just me and my bees.

How did you begin your career? 
I come from three generations of beekeepers. I was taught the craft of beekeeping at the age of 5 by my grandfather and father. My grandmother showed me ways to use the beeswax and honey to make ointments, lip balms and candles. I was amazed that these tiny insects made a perfect sweet food from flowers. I would sit and watch them for hours coming and going about their business. My lifelong passion working with honeybees started there.

How long have you been doing it?
Since the age of 5.

What other Craftsmen stand out to you most and why? 
The late beekeeper Brother Adam of Buckfast Abbey in Devon. His devotion, management and research into bee breeding still carries on today. Then there’s the basket weavers. Early bee hives were fashioned from straw and binding to make skep beehives. I have tried to make a number of them and they take a lot of skill, hard work and time. They are beautiful works of usable art. So I really respect those who can make them.

Did anything in particular inspire you to start your craft?
My family. I have always been fascinated by nature. I love all creatures big and small. I long to be outdoors and in all weather conditions. That’s when I feel most free and happy. Beekeeping has allowed me this freedom. Bees are so clever and unpredictable. I never get tired of being around them, hearing their warm comforting buzzing or just being allowed to witness their amazing secret world.

Do you work with any other craftsmen/women to create your products?
Yes, many! Beekeeping cannot be mechanised. It demands a good set of hands and a strong back. All of what I do depends on both inner and outer strength. I rely on other craft people to help me achieve various non-physical aspects of my work. I am currently working with a metal worker, Harvey, in Norwood. He has helped me create a unique honeybee blower stand. This stand is vital this year, to help blow the bees out of the honey boxes to clear them before extracting the fresh honey. No stand of this kind existed, so I collaborated with Harvey to produce it. I so enjoy watching other craftspeople at work. It inspires me to be better at my craft.

What is your criteria for working with fellow craftsmen/women?
I have very, very high standards and expect others that I work with to have the same. Nothing delights me more than looking at an object were the maker tried to achieve perfection. It fills me with a sense of calm, order and peace.

What is the hardest part about what you do?
The uncertainty of nature. Nectar is only produced under very strict weather conditions. Too much wind, too much rain, too little rain, too hot, too cold, too little heat will mean plants will not produce nectar and the bees will suffer. Spending so much time among my beehives, you get to know the bees of each colony very well. They are part of my family. So, if a colony dies for any reason I take that loss personally and it really hurts.

What makes your craftsmanship most rewarding?
Knowing that I am giving back more to the planet than I take away. My bees help pollinate plants, creating seeds and food for other animals and humans to exist. My bees keep the ecosystem rolling along.  

Where did you learn the skills required for your role?
My family first and foremost. Then, I attended the British Black Bee Project at Hadlow Agricultural College grounds in Kent. I gained a lot of useful beekeeping skills and understanding while I was there, like queen bee breeding, bee genetics testing, bee disease identification and analysis. I met wonderful dedicated beekeepers of all ages and we shared our knowledge and worked closely together towards bettering bees for Britain. I then traveled the world searching out beekeepers to learn what I could from them. The wonderful thing about beekeeping is it cuts out any religious or political constraints. People just look at you as a fellow beekeeper and we share that common bond. 

What has been the most important learning curve for you?
Not to be so hard on myself, but to never stop trying to achieve perfection.

Have you had any major pitfalls to overcome to maintain your craft?In 1996, I had my first baby on the way while the pressure of trying to build my honey business demanded I work 17 hours a day to keep afloat. Then Varroa – a parasitic mite that feeds on honeybees was discovered in the UK. It devastated my bee population, killing most of them. I went from 160 beehives down to 56. I just worked day and night to try and keep the remaining beehives alive. Many of my professional beekeeping colleagues were wiped out. I was on the razor’s edge but managed to survive. 

Has your craft evolved into other/new skills over time?
Yes. I bought a four-acre, overgrown, neglected holding in Surrey to house more of my beehives some 20 years ago. I decided to plant apple trees in order to provide those bees with an early nectar food source. In my research to find apple tree varieties I learned how Britain had a rich apple history. I fell in love with the stories, folklore and tales surrounding how each apple variety was discovered or created. Many varieties I had never heard of, tasted or seen. Many had not been sold on the market since the 1800s. I was overwhelmed with a desire to taste what I could only read about. I decided I must try and bring them back. I planted early, middle  and late varieties, an orchard of 200 trees 88 different varieties of rare old English varieties. They all were planted as tiny stick-like grafts about the size of a pencil. Now they provide tons of fruit.  I never dreamt I would be a farmer of apples but I really enjoy it. I now press the apples to make juice and sell the juice throughout Surrey and London each year.

How would you describe a day in your role?
I never know what each day will bring. At times, the business side is fast paced decision-making, wearing many hats, relying on past skills, and making time to learn new ones on the move. Even the beekeeping side can be stressful, as bees are unpredictable and like to keep you on your toes. I generally put in 15 -16 hour work per day. I am my own master, and as I lay down in my bed at night I know I have sucked out each and every last drop of life for that day. I sleep well, very little, but well!

What are the biggest challenges you face in what you do?
Keeping up with demand. Building the infrastructure to cope and accommodate my expansion plans.

How have you stayed passionate and inspired by your craft?
Good question. The bees. They inspire me. I consider myself a student of beekeeping. After 55 years of beekeeping there is still so much to learn it just never gets old.

What made you choose this career and to work in this industry?Beekeeping was not my first choice. I tried on many jobs over the years. Each and every one of those unrelated jobs have now come back to complement and support my beekeeping career.

Do you have any plans to expand on what it is that you do?
Oh yes. My honey factory is just about complete that will serve to increase production and output for the next 20 years.

What are the main projects you are working on now?
I have identified three key products that I want to mass produce and offer to chain stores in and outside the UK.

How would your customers describe your craft?
Traditional, artisan, hand-made, honey products.

What are the accomplishments within your work in craftsmanship that you are most proud of?
In 1992, I opened my first honey shop. The concept of a shop dedicated to all things bees and honey did not exist. No one I spoke to understood or had identified this gap in the market. Honey was thought of as no more than a morning spread only. With the help of my wife, we created a vast product line never seen before. I like to think our presence helped inspire this current honey renaissance. Also, being selected by QEST for a scholarship in bee disease and beekeeping is something I am very proud of.

How would you describe your business in 3 words?
Trusted quality, guaranteed.

How does working with QEST support you/your craft?
I was one of the first scholars to be awarded a scholarship for Bee Disease and Beekeeping from the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust. In 1992, I was teaching a beekeeping class and one of my students had just been awarded a scholarship for antique furniture restoration by QEST. She told me all about QEST and suggested I apply. It is an honour to be associated with this prestigious organisation. Though I won my scholarship in 1993, QEST has never stopped supporting me or my craft. They work tirelessly offering advice, guidance and assistants to help my craft and business grow. By doing so, they enable me to continue to help others by sharing  the skilled knowledge of my craft, keeping this important heritage alive. 

How would you describe John Smedley?
A national treasure. To be 235 years old and still going is amazing. I admire their ability to be traditional yet modern at the same time.

Do you have a favourite John Smedley piece, if so what?
The Jaspar Front Pocket Jacket In ‘Midnight’ navy merino wool. It’s unbelievably comfortable and pairs perfectly with jeans.

What are you most excited about for the future?
What I can’t see or imagine. What’s coming next.