My passion for mother nature developed as I grew up in a small town in west Poland surrounded by stunning mountains, wild woods and meadows featuring beautiful wildflowers such as cornflower, dandelion, phacelia and acacia. Poland has an ancient beekeeping tradition and is currently the only country in the European Union that produces honey from wild beehives in tree hollows. It is known as being among Europe’s top honey producers. We always had a jar of real honey and the most natural products at home. So from an early age these natural products fuelled a fascination with wildlife. In the spring and summer I loved watching butterflies flutter by and the buzzing of the bees, without which we simply couldn’t exist.

The sweet-scented aromas of the wide open spaces of Yorkshire and the stunning tastes resulting from the clean and fresh environment remind me of my early years and give a real sense of wellbeing. My adventure with bees started after my neighbour, who is an experienced beekeeper, kindly gave me one of her hives. It was very exciting to have my own hive and this motivated me to sign up for a beekeeping course and educate myself how to become a beekeeper. This opened doors to a world of knowledge as I started to meet people with many years of know-how who helped me to develop my skills.