PHILOSOPHY

Hi, I’m Jem.
 

In the photo on the home page, I’m holding some scraps of cardboard, which were about to be used for my smoker. This cardboard represents my approach to life, my pre-beekeeping career, and how I run Jem’s Bees®.
 

As a beekeeper, designer, maker, gardener, and recycler, I naturally gravitate toward DIY, make-your-own, and grow-your-own activities. I consciously reduce my impact and the business’s impact by reusing and repurposing materials. This habit began during my career in children's book publishing, where I used scrap cardboard for slot model kits and folding paper pop-up book sculptures. I also ran the BrilliantBuilds family workshop, encouraging others to build with cardboard.
 

Recycling is simple but impactful. It keeps costs low and saves materials from waste piles. Unwanted materials are vital in shaping something new. This methodology extends to Jem’s Bees®. Display items on the stall are made from recycled materials: banner uprights from old plant climbers, honey jar plinths from pallets, and polish tin stands from wardrobe slats.
 

Online orders from Jem’s Bees arrive in recycled packaging with just a sticker, except for posters, which require solid tubes. This approach is integral to the business’s identity.
 

Resourcefulness mirrors how honeybee colonies work—they work with what they find. As a beekeeper, I’m inspired by their behaviour and aim to maintain a synergistic relationship with them. A good honey harvest is never guaranteed due to factors like weather, habitat, pests, diseases, and beekeeper aptitude. To ease the pressure on honey sales, I diversify the product range using my design skills.
 

Many customers understand the challenges bees and beekeepers face and I'm very thankful for this. 
 

The goal is to keep Jem’s Bees Ltd friendly, simple, and sustainable.
 

Jem
Just bee-ing