Staithe Farm Beekeeping

Beekeeping courses in Norfolk with a Master Beekeeper

01508 520496

Customer Reviews

We present a selection of Customer Reviews of our Beekeeping Courses:


Two-Day. I thoroughly enjoyed the course, it had a relaxed learning environment and was taught in the perfect beekeeping environment (a workshop with lots of beekeeping equipment). I enjoyed all aspects of the course but getting the hands on with inspecting the hives, closely instructed and supervised by a Master Beekeeper was invaluable and no amount of books or online videos can substitute for that.
The timings and duration was excellent and I would feel changing anything would make it less of a course about a really good hobby and more of a course suited to a job requirement.
I would definitely recommend the course for any new or aspiring beekeepers. While some of the theory covered on the course can be read in books, the practical lessons cannot. Richard and his wife Louise create a very nice almost homely environment, which really puts you at ease.
Richard is clearly an expert beekeeper but is very open to how there are many other ways to doing things in the beekeeping world. He points out what must be done to maintain a healthy beehive but also points out some of things he recommends doing which other beekeepers may do slightly differently. I was a bit apprehensive before the course and expected to be taught by a strict old beekeeper that lays down the rules etc but it just wasn’t the case. Richard was professional but modest, relaxed and open to questions and discussions. His wife Louise was also very nice, always offering teas, coffees and her amazing Honey cake. At the end of the course, Richard offered his assistance in the future via emails etc and I thought this was an excellent touch by him. I will definitely be keeping in contact.

Neil from Saffron Walden May 2024.

Two-Day. The course was fantastic, there is so much to know about keeping bees but Richard made it very interactive and it was organised nicely to have hands on experience too. I would recommend 100% recommend the course, I learnt so much. It was really interesting and I felt so welcomed by Richard and Louise. I feel fully ready to get bees and it was nice to have the course over an intensive 2 days so I could get bees this summer. Fantastic course thank you so much Richard and Louise!

Imogen from Fakenham May 2024.

Two-Day. We really enjoyed your course! Although there's a lot to learn in order to keep bees, it gave us a good idea of what to do. Richard was great! I could tell he'd been a teacher! I can imagine it's very rewarding passing on knowledge of beekeeping to others, it's a very positive thing to do.It was amazing just being so close to the bees for the first time, I hope we can do a decent job of looking after our bees.I don't see anything that could've been improved, apart from the weather! I would happily recommend Richard's course to others, it's a commitment though, and I could imagine many people wouldn't fancy that.

Paul from Oxborough May 2024.

Two-Day.Despite very inclement weather Richard was able to adapt the course content to an indoor setting, still keeping on track and delivering all the information we required to become confident new bee keepers. The welcome and classroom atmosphere was relaxed and made it a good learning environment.
I could not recommend the course more highly. I believe that the knowledge gained is critical especially to those who jump first, but all the gear but have no idea. Richard’s guidance puts you on the right track from the very start.
If you are looking to enter into the fascinating and magical world of bee keeping. Look no further! Staithe Farm Bee Keeping Courses are the perfect introduction to your bee keeping practice.

Peter from Rollesby, May 2024.

Two-day. I went to a prom at the Albert Hall last night. I had a seat way up above the hall with a view down to the promenaders standing in the centre arena and what they looked like was a frame of bees ! I looked out for any diseases or a Queen but there was no queen or obvious disease ! This is how much my brain has been affected by the course. Thank you Richard and Louise for your friendly hospitality and cakes and hot beverages. Richard you are an inspiration . Your enthusiasm for and love of beekeeping is infectious. I'm definitely going to do it and will be doing my search for a local buddy and beekeeping association before I get started. I have made a start with my suit so there's no going back !

Simon from Denton, July 2023.

Two-Day. What did you like about the course? So much of this made so much of what we've seen but not understood fully make sense. Either a really good mentor or a course like this is essential for successful, enjoyable beekeeping.
Could any aspect be improved? More cake. And the recipe for Honey Cake provided with the course notes!
Would you recommend the course and why? See the first point + A small course with hands-on experience really helps. Richard is very knowledgeable and engaging. Happily digs in the detail of questions as they come-up and explains the beekeeping logic behind the answers.
While I still have much to learn, I feel much better equipped as beekeeper after the course than before.

Simon & Jana from Norwich, May 2023.

Beekeeping Experience-Good Evening Richard & Louise,
I just wanted to take a moment after attending your initial Bee Keeping Experience today to thank you both for a thoroughly enjoyable and informative afternoon.
As stated this was a 60th Birthday present from my step daughter. I was really lucky with some fantastic presents for my birthday, but the Bee Keeping Experience under your Subject Matter Expertise was by far the best gift of all.
From the moment I attended your home for the afternoon I felt welcomed and cared for. As a person of restricted mobility I felt included and considered.
My afternoon was just wonderful and I left literally 'Buzzing' and inspired by the delivery and content of your theory and practical/ hands on Bee Keeping experience.
I feel I am now more confident in looking to take this further to the next stage of the two day course whenever you are able to fit me in please?
Very Best Regards
Pete

Pete from Rollesby, July 2023.

Two-Day. Welcoming(tea/coffee) and small group.
Detailed - sufficiently segmented into relative chunks covering various aspects of beekeeping.
Timing - good, no overload of information and we were encouraged to ask questions without feeling foolish.
The practical element was the most useful. Marking a bee and inspecting for disease was very useful and gave me the confidence to believe I know what to look for.
I can't think of any improvements.
Yes. I would recommend the course the course. The honey cake was the icing on top though.

Helen from Peckham, May 2023.

Beekeeping Experience. Liked all of the course. Richard was very knowledgeable and the session was well delivered, unrushed, realistic and encouraging. Great balance between classroom and hands on at the hive. I don't think anything could be improved. I would recommend this course.

Mark from Norwich, May 2023.

Two Day. Liked the small group. Experienced Master Beekeeper . Good mix of theory and practical. Pleasant setting close to Apiary. Richard was focused on ensuring we got the necessary information to kick off our beekeeping. I liked the emphasis throughout on bee welfare and a disciplined approach to having bees in your care. Richard's patient supportive approach gave confidence to the group which helped in our interaction with the bees. Really enjoyed that. Honesty about the problems that might be encountered balanced nicely with ways to minimise potential issues.
Good advice about sourcing kit and supplies. Course very well put together with emphasis on right areas for beginners. No aspect could be improved, not for me. The two days exceeded my expectations on level of detail and practical interaction with the hives. I would absolutely recommend the course for the reasons above. All members of the group had given serious consideration to beekeeping with some research before the course and we agreed attendance was an absolute must to cement previous reading, give practical tips and confidence to pursue beekeeping. A successful two days and the group now communicate by Whatsapp and have come away totally motivated to commence our beekeeping. Well done and thank you.

Mike from Tasburgh, May 2023.

Two Day. I wanted to thank you for a wonderful two days. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and it was great that we all got on so well in the group. Small group so plenty of chances to ask questions. I loved this course and would definitely recommend it even for someone just wanting to learn about bees rather than keep them. Richard's knowledge and enthusiasm is evident and he has endless patience for answering questions. A good mix of theory and practical and a wonderful way to spend two days.

Karen from Norfolk, July 2022.

Two Day. All aspects covered were clearly presented and over the two days they built up a comprehensive understanding of the workings and management of a colony of bees. Many areas that I was not sure of were clarified especially during the practical handling of the bees. There was a good balance of theory and practice.
It was very informative and provided an excellent introduction to beekeeping with guidance on the safe handling of bees and purposeful inspection of hives.Thank you, Richard and Louise for your warm welcome and efficient presentation with so much information covered during the course. I feel much more confident about finding answers to the questions when inspecting my bees. I will keep in touch and let you know how I get on.

Jane from North Walsham June 2022

Two Day. Very interesting. Practical side was great to help understanding. Small group size was nice. We had a really enjoyable and interesting two days learning about bees. Lovely to meet Louise and Harry. So enjoyable, interesting and friendly.

Kat from Holt, May 2022.

Beekeeping Experience. It was an excellent introduction to bee behaviour and being an apiarist. Richard explained things carefully and patiently in an easy to understand way. The gentle pace of the course was just right and we thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely recommend it, as it gave a fascinating insight to bee life. Suitable for all ages, whether thinking of keeping bees or just keen to learn more about them. We were made to feel very welcome and safe throughout.
Thank you, we are now certain that our plan to keep bees can become a reality and would like to return to learn more when we are ready to set up.

Heather from Ely.May 2022.

Two-Day. I really enjoyed the mix of theory and practical aspects, and the flexibility to ask questions as you go. I liked that there was a small group and that you were able to have experience handling the bees.

I would recommend this course for anyone who is considering keeping bees, the topics covered, and the time spent in the apiary has given me the confidence to start my journey in bee keeping.

Richard was helpful and knowledgeable, and there was a very warm welcome from both him and his wife. Although we covered lots of information over the two days, it was a relaxed atmosphere and very supportive for beginners

Tracey from Dereham, May 2022.

Two-Day. Covered a good variety. Diseases were very educational for us and well explained. Certainly recommend the course. Richard is very informative and has such a flare to teach. It was fun, engaging and we came away better equipped beekeepers.

Liam and Lily from Diss, July 2021.

Two-Day. Liked everything about the course. Good pace, time for questions, a good basis to start beekeeping. Very convivial. I'd recommend it because I'd do it again myself if it had a stage 2.Thank you Richard.

Catherine from Thetford, June 2021.

Two-Day. Course flowed well with great practical aspects. I'm a total novice and I feel I could set up after the course.

Tracy from Thetford, June 2021

Two-Day. The practical side was most interesting. Most definitely recommend the course. Richard is very knowledgeable and affable.

Joe from Norfolk, June 2021

Two-day course. Liked the friendly delivery. It was superbly enjoyable-absolutely loved it and have already recommended it. Then received following email 'I wanted to thank you for a fantastic couple of days of gentle instruction and humour. You successfully made us all feel it was entirely possible to embark on a beekeeping career'

Emma from Kings Lynn, May 2021.

Two-Day Course. Liked everything about the course and absolutely recommend it. It was relaxed, informative course, enjoyed it very much, with both theory and practical. Thank you.

Mel from Castle Acre, Norfolk, June 2021.

Two-Day Course. Lots of practical opportunities to learn, watch, ask questions. Small group setting increased the learning and experience with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic teacher. Thank you for a fascinating course of learning. Looking forward to getting my own bees!

Nick from Attleborough, Norfolk, June 2021.

Beekeeping Experience. We both enjoyed the course last week, we even enjoyed it despite the cold. We loved meeting your Bees and appreciated the hand on experience. Good teaching, a variety of learning through listening, questions, scenarios and practical.
I have already recommended it because it gave us the experience to keep bees. A small group of 4 is ideal as we had opportunity to ask questions and had 1:1 attention. The handouts you made are very good and your descriptions added to our understanding.

Linda & Allison from Norfolk May 2021.

Two-Day course. Full coverage, hands-on. Knowledgeable tutor able to answer all questions. Any nervousness handling the bees disappeared as the amount of information given meant we were concentrating on the hive rather than the bees buzzing about your face!

Denise from Denton, Norfolk, June 2019

Two-Day course. Covered a lot of ground in an unhurried way. Very comprehensive and confidence building. Plenty of hands on practice.Very friendly.

Robin from Sharrington, Norfolk, May 2019.

Two-Day course. I loved the hands on experience.I found the bees fascinating and I understand the enthusiasm that Richard has. Richard is very clear and mixes the practical concerns of beekeeping beautifully. A FEW DAYS LATER BY EMAIL ....Just wanted to say thank you for the course. It was one of the best presents I’ve ever received. Whether or not I keep hives in the future, I will never forget doing the disease check on the brood. If you’d have told me a week ago that I’d be studying a frame of brood intently all but oblivious to bees crawling over my gloves I don’t think I would have believed you. Loved the apiary, loved the science, but most of all loved the bees.

Sean from Tunstead, Norfolk, May 2019.

Two-Day course. Really good level of information.Well organised and planned. Small group allowed more involvement. A must if considering beekeeping.

Ben from Holbeach, Lincs, May 2019.

Two-Day course. Very informative and great hands on experience. Provided a great insight to the basics of beekeeping. The course made me realise how extensive beekeeping is as a 'subject'.

Charlie from Corby, Northants, May 2019.

Two-Day course. Richard's approach from the word go was immense in the way he guided me through the at some times difficult process of the bees life cycle. I liked the way the course made me feel confident in all aspects of the process of getting to grips with the whole experience of handling the bees. I liked the way also the the moment of anything that was getting out of my depth Richard's approach to put confidence back in myself, the way also I had tremendous amount of hands on experience and also great one to one tutoring. I would highly recommend this great course to my colleagues because it's a great way to get to understand this subject from an experienced tutor in his field. Keep up the good work.

Trevor from East Carleton, Norfolk, June 2019.

Two-Day Course. I really felt we benefited from the significant amount of time outside, handling the bees. The course was packed full of excellent information, delivered in a friendly and relaxed way. I would definitely recommend the course. We learned so much as Richard was hugely knowledgeable and experienced.

Jackie & Mark, Tasburgh, Norfolk, June 2019.

Beekeeping Experience. Very interesting & informative. We not only listened & watched, but we were encouraged & able to have a go ourselves. It was such an amazing experience, we loved every second. We learnt so much in a short space of time. We loved the taster session & found it fascinating & very enjoyable/fun. We would really love to come back!

Samantha & Sally from Mulbarton, Norfolk, June 2018.

Beekeeping Experience. Very warm welcome to begin. Put us at ease and very hands on. It was very enjoyable. A great introduction, I would love to take the 2 day course.

Shirley & Georgie from Thurlton, Norfolk, June 2018.

Beekeeping Experience. I would recommend the bee taster experience. Fascinating about the life of the bee and its work to produce the homemade honey. Richard is bound by so much knowledge and gives others a thirst to learn. Thank you so very much xx.

Helen & Nick from Easton, Norfolk, June 2018.

A review of our 2-day intensive course

By Michael and Grace from Thurlton, Norfolk.

What did you like about the course?

What could be improved?

It would be good to see a follow up course for those about to shed the trainer wheels.

Would you recommend the course to anyone else and why?

Absolutely. Although beekeeping no doubt can involve a lifetime of learning, we found that the two-day course was a great way to find out whether it might be something for us. We left with a much better idea about the practicalities (time commitment, equipment needed, seasonal variations, and so forth). Best of all, we got some hands-on time with the bees (until you’ve picked up a full frame of bees, you probably won’t know for sure if beekeeping is for you!).

Any other comments?

Richard is very easy to get along with and made the course very interesting. Obviously extremely knowledgeable. We left feeling confident that we are ready to get started with our first couple of hives.