What Can I Expect

Get a buzz out of urban beekeeping in London in summer or winter! With an admiration for those busy honey bees and a love of craft beer, you'll be in heaven on this hands-on experience that takes place in view of The Shard.

What is honey beer? Well, brewers usually add sugar to the fermentable mix to increase the alcohol content and give the beer body. Honey brewers replace that sugar with honey. Interestingly, adding honey to beer doesn’t make it over sweet. Hiver's range of Blonde, Amber and Indian Pale Ales offers balance and depth of flavour.

These bee and beer experiences are based within walking distance of Oval tube in Zone 2 on the London Underground Northern Line. You'll get kitted out in full beekeeper garb, ready for a hive inspection. See the female bees at work, peer at those honeycomb patterns being created in front of your eyes and learn all about beekeeping in London’s urban landscape.

'You reap what you sow' as the saying goes, so once you've seen how the honey's made by those London-dwelling bees, it's time to find out what can be done with the delicious nectar.

The honey brew team will tell you all about the process of taking what the bees produce and turning it into tasty beer. For example, the Hiver Beer Brown Ale uses raw blossom and heather honey, along with darker roasted malts for a flavoursome and rich unpasteurised brown ale.

Once you've met the bees and brewed the beer, there's only one thing left to do. Sample it! You'll take part in a tutored beer tasting featuring honey beers from the range produced by this Kennington brewer.

So if you want to lift the lid on honey bees and hives in the big city, sign up for this interactive urban beekeeping workshop in London, with the added bonus of learning all about honey beer brewing too.

When Is It Available

• The Summer Experience runs between April to September
• The Winter Experience runs between October to March 
• Vouchers are valid for use on selected dates throughout the year

Scheduled 2025 Dates:

• 19th July
• 2nd August
• 9th August
• 23rd August
• 6th September

Suitable For

• Minmum age 18
• Please bring along valid ID
• Not suitable for those with a bee allergy or coeliac condition

Spectators

• Not suitable for spectators

Anything Else

• In case of bad weather, you will look at the life cycle of the bee, bi-products of the hive and build frames in place of beekeeping
• Please wear closed toes shoes, or socks with sandals
• Beekeeping suits will be provided for the summer season
• During the winter season, please dress warmly, as part of the activities will be taking place outside and we always want to be prepped in case a hive visit is possible