Parslow Apiaries – beekeeping

Parslow Apiaries: Bledlow Beekeeper Buzzing about LEADER

A £34,000 LEADER grant has enabled Parslow Apiaries to build new extraction and bottling sheds, as well as improved storage units. They can now make other products using the wonderful golden wax which covers the combs- and the better bottling system means they can separate honey varieties. The flavour of honey varies slightly depending on where the bees gain their pollen – lavender, beans or bluebells all produce a different taste.

After many years as a farmer on Lord Carrington’s Estate in Bledlow, John Parslow turned his hobby into a successful business – Parslow Apiaries Ltd. John Parslow has now been running bee hives in Buckinghamshire for over 30 years with the help of his wife and business partner son, Barry. 300 hives produce 10 tons of honey which is processed in an ancient shed and a few small metal units on the farm.

Bottling honey is a fairly precise science. We were extracting, pasteurising and bottling in cramped facilities – the sheds would get so hot in the summer that we could only work at 5am or after 7pm. It served us well for many years but we just needed better premises.
John Parslow
Parslow Apiaries

Nick Phillips, Programme Manager for LEADER explains “This is a great project and a really good use of the LEADER grant. The new buildings should allow Parslow Apiaries to expand with more hives and weather permitting allow for more honey production. What is interesting about this business is that no part of the process is wasted. In addition to making hives for other people, Parslow Apiaries make candles, shoe and furniture polish and even honey lip gloss from the wax. We were delighted to see the LEADER grant so well used.”

£5 million will be available between now and 2013 in the Chilterns, Aylesbury Vale and rural Milton Keynes areas. The funding is targeted to support farmers in diversification adding value to tourism, timber and exciting projects that will benefit local communities.  For those looking to find out about the LEADER fund please visit the LEADER Programme website.

Grant £34,000

Partners

• Buckinghamshire County Council
• Buckinghamshire Economic and Learning Partnership
• Buckinghamshire Rural Action Group
• Buckinghamshire Community Action Group
• National Farmers Union

Funders

LEADER funding is part of the Rural Development Programme for England (RDPE). Money for LEADER grants comes from the European Union via the South East England Development Agency (SEEDA).

What is the LEADER Programme?

LEADER is a scheme for delivering and exciting new source of funding for farmers, foresters, rural business and community organisations. The funding is part of the Rural Development Programme for England.

£5 million has been secured for allocation to local projects between now and 2013. The funding is targeted mainly to support farmers in diversification adding value to tourism, timber and exciting projects that will benefit local communities.  Projects have been supported in areas such as developing new farm businesses, community run shops, and equestrian businesses.