Think of bees and the first thing that probably comes to mind are the honeybees (Apis mellifera) that many of us associate with hot summer days and hovering busily around flowers.

Yet, there’s so much more to these extraordinary creatures than you might realise. Although they may be small in stature, bees are a vital part of our ecosystem.

We spoke to local beekeeper and local supplier of honey for your Co-op, Bernie Morel, to find out more.

At home with a hive

Being a beekeeper could be considered an unusual pastime, but for Bernie, his venture into beekeeping began out of curiosity.

‘Many years ago, a local professional beekeeper, Sam Renouf along with Maurice Gautier, kept a number of hives just behind my home,’ explained Bernie. ‘I took a peek at these veiled figures visiting the hives, got chatting and then began working with them for a number of years.

'I learnt so much from them. Mr Renouf, in my opinion, was one of the most knowledgeable and one of the island's best beekeepers. Maurice was also an expert in the field, later becoming President of our local beekeepers as well as a recognised Master Beekeeper with the British Association of Beekeepers.'

He added: ‘It was a great experience to learn so much, and one which started a career lasting more than 50 years, as well as being one of the longest suppliers to the Co-op!’

We’re proud to say that Bernie has been exclusively supplying us with local honey since the early 1970’s, and it's a partnership we hope to keep as strong and as sweet as the honey itself.

But there’s much more to beekeeping than honey, as Bernie describes.