Doing odd jobs in Spain might not sound like the kind of thing that changes your life, but for Mark, that’s exactly what happened. He was 25 years old when one of his employers, who had 20 hives, noticed Mark’s keen interest and invited him to help out
Mark threw himself into the world of commercial beekeeping as soon as he was back on UK soil, working for large-scale beekeepers. The dream was always to strike out on his own, and that he did, becoming a self-employed beekeeper within just two short years. Each year his farm grew and grew, expansion funded by his honey crops, until he’d accomplished the remarkable feat of 3000 colonies and crops of 100+ tons.
Peter Taylor, Founder of Nidhoggr Mead Co, who use Woldgate Honey in their mead.
Woldgate Honey Farm was started by Mark in the late 90s, and he’s still at its helm today. Having initially started solo, it was Mark’s determination and aptitude that grew his business – though luckily, he’s got a strong team behind him these days.
Yorkshire isn’t just famous for its tea, but also its heather. As such, Woldgate has become famous for its Heather Honey. The hives are moved to the moors in July when the heather flowers blossom and the moorland turns purple. The hives will stay on the moors for around 8 weeks and will be harvested in mid-September. Aside from Heather, most of the honey collected by Mark’s bees come from agricultural crops like Field Beans and Rapeseed.
