Farm & Produce
honey
In Olde English, “Beeleigh” meant clearing in the woods for bees. That connection – between Beeleigh and bees – goes back to the Dark Ages. Since that time, honey has been harvested, and bees have been tended to at the Abbey.
Today, Buckfast Bees, a type of bee first bred at Buckfast Abbey in Devon, gather honey in approximately 50 hives on or around the Estate’s lands. The honey is extracted cold and jarred as a raw product at the Abbey. It is produced in much the same way it has been for a millennium.
When yields of borage are particularly high, the estate jars Borage honey. It is made from honey harvested from the pollen of the ‘blue starflower’. The honey is exceptionally light and clear and is said to have health-improving qualities.
LAMB
The Abbey is home to a flock of around 100 pedigree Jacob sheep. With their distinctive horns and brown and black spotting, they make a lively addition to estate life. They are grazed across the estate, including the rich meadows adjacent to the Blackwater and Chelmer Navigation. The regenerative practice of regularly rotating grazing mirrors the ancient shepherding practices of this area.
This way of farming results in a lean, rich meat with subtle gamey tones. The rarity of Jacob lamb, as well as its slow growth, makes it a speciality meat prized by chefs.
Pre-orders for our readily available ranges of lamb are available now.
