Allow us to introduce Hagen’s Heroes!

Here at Hagen's Bees, we are bringing together a group of passionate beekeepers from across the UK, to share their honest experiences with a variety of top-quality beekeeping products over the year. Our carefully selected group of Heroes will receive a range of beekeeping essentials to try out, review, and share with the community.

Once the reviews come in, we’ll showcase them across our social media platforms and on our website to help fellow beekeepers make informed decisions about the best products for their hives. Together, we’re creating a buzz around the tools and products that help beekeepers and their wonderful honeybees thrive. Join the hive and be a part of the Hagen’s Heroes movement—where great products meet even greater feedback!

ESTHER - LONDON

Esther has been a beekeeper since 2010, when she trained with Urban Bees as part of the Plan Bee project run by The Co-Op. She keeps honey bees on her allotment in London. Esther is also an actor, writer and creative producer. She has performed in theatre, film and television roles and has also written a comedy for radio; 'The Allotment', which was about her bees and beekeeping. She presents 'Queen Bees Podcast' with her best friend and actor, Jane Horrocks for Hattrick Productions.

Esther presents bee-spoke bee-related workshops and talks that are both informative and entertaining. She has delivered talks at The Hive in Kew Gardens, Somerset House, The RAF Club as well as St Ermin's and Ham Yard Hotels. She has run workshops for various groups including school children, refugees and end of life patients. She is also a keen gardener, working in an urban community garden in London where she has created an urban meadow with volunters. In 2024 the garden won a gold medal in Islington in Bloom. Her 'Life in the Hive talk ' is a fun and informative insight into what goes on in a honey bee's world. No spoilers! You can follow Esther's adventures here!

MO - LEICESTERSHIRE

Hi, I’m Mo!

I’ve always loved nature and spending my free time exploring the British countryside. I never imagined I’d become a beekeeper until I was watching Clarkson’s Farm and saw a short segment on beekeeping. It sparked my curiosity, so I signed up for my local beekeeping association’s theory and practical courses.
At first, I had no intention of keeping bees myself, but seeing everyone else on the course take the plunge inspired me to do the same. I started with purchasing two colonies in September last year, successfully took them through their first winter, and they’ve since grown into eleven colonies. I’m already planning for twenty—although I’m not think I’ve found my limit yet!
 I certainly wouldn’t be where I am today without the support and encouragement of so many people in the beekeeping community. Their advice, generosity and willingness to share their knowledge have been invaluable throughout my journey.
What I love most about beekeeping is how calming it is. It gives me a chance to slow down, connect with nature, and appreciate the incredible world of honey bees. I also really enjoy meeting people at local events and sharing the vital role that bees and other pollinators play in our environment. It’s the perfect contrast to my day job working in the Civil Service.
Hagens has been an important part of my beekeeping journey, providing reliable equipment that has supported me as I’ve grown from a complete beginner to an ambitious beekeeper.
If you’ve ever thought about getting into beekeeping, my advice is simple - go for it. You never know where it might take you. You can follow my journey at @thebeekeepersreserve on Instagram, TikTok and YouTube. Feel free to say hi!

DANIEL AND ALICE - NORTH YORKSHIRE

I’m Daniel! I’m originally from Romania, where I was first introduced to beekeeping as a child, growing up next door to my grandad, an avid beekeeper with over 130 hives.

Now living in North Yorkshire with my fiancée, Alice, and working full-time as an engineer, I found my way back to beekeeping as a hobby after unexpectedly being offered a swarm while visiting another beekeeper’s hives.

Like many beekeepers, we soon found ourselves with more honey than we could eat, and Welburn Honey House was born. Since then, we’ve expanded our range to include beeswax candles and crochet bees, all handmade by us. We’ve built a website and started attending local markets, sharing our passion with the wider community.

Our goal is simple: to keep enjoying our bees and producing honest, handcrafted products we’re proud of.

You can follow Daniel and Alice's journey on instagram here and have a look at their website!

ZAK - SHROPSHIRE

Hi, I’m Zak, or “Zak the Bee Man” as I’m known around my local area! I currently work full-time as a carpenter on new-build housing developments, while managing my beekeeping operation in my spare time.

My beekeeping journey began four years ago when, with the help of my dad, I collected my first swarm. To this day he’s always willing to lend a hand, even if it means taking a sting or two along the way. From that very first swarm I was completely hooked, and what started as a hobby quickly became a passion. Since then, I’ve steadily expanded my apiaries and now manage around 100 hives across several locations.

With only one day a week available to work my bees, I’m always looking for ways to improve efficiency and simplify management, allowing me to make the most of my beekeeping time while still spending time at home with my amazing partner and our one-year-old son. Looking ahead, my goal is to continue growing over the coming years and hopefully reach the point where I can reduce my carpentry hours, or, if I’m fortunate enough, make the dream of becoming a full-time beekeeper a reality. I’m excited to be part of Hagen’s Heroes and look forward to sharing my experiences and honest feedback on the products I use throughout the season.

Follow Zak's journey on Instagram here and Facerbook here!

TAMSIN - CORNWALL

I'm a Cornish beekeeper with around a 100 colonies, hived in both Nationals and Langstroths and am based in the far west of the county. I took my BBKA basic exam in 1998 and initally lived with my few, very forgiving, colonies. My competence and confidence gradually grew enough for me to expand my set up and become a commercial beekeeper and since then I haven't looked back.

The summer months are spent working my bees, primarily for honey production, which can be challenging as we have no Spring crop to speak of and no monoclutures this far down in the county. With the honey comes the by-product of beeswax, and I spend a great deal of the winter months making products with that wax. I'm a huge fan of Hagens top quality candle moulds and put them to good use in my candle making workshops.

I also have been very fortunate in the "off season" to work for BJ Sherrif and participate, at home and abroad, in many beekeeping trade shows. This has been a great way to meet other like-minded people and to see new and innovative equipment.

I strive to constantly learn more about my trade and the all important honey bee and love to share this by giving talks and workshops to whoever will listen!

NICK & KIRSTY - LINCOLNSHIRE

I'm Nick. I work full time, have a 10 year old son, who doesn't like bees, and I am trying to build myself a business from bees along with my wife Kirsty.

I'm lucky to retire in only 4 years and I'm hoping to use my bees to build a little business to supplement my income. I have around 50 colonies of bees currently and undertake some migrational beekeeping taking bees to rape, borage and, for the first time in 2025, heather.

In the next 4 years I aim to have around 100 colonies to start my business. I also aim to help and support new Beekeepers as I understand how bewildering beekeeping is to beginners. We've all been there so I hope to demystify some of the nonsense I hear spoken!

Follow Nick and Kirsty's journey here and have a look on their website!

ANDREAS - WALES

Hi, I'm Andreas! Originally from Germany, I've called Wales home for 25 years and wouldn't change it for the world.

My beekeeping journey started during lockdown in 2020, when the world slowed down and I finally had the time to pursue something I'd always been curious about. I began with two hives on a friend's land and haven't looked back since. Over the last five years I've expanded the apiary, built my own hives and equipment, and learned an enormous amount — mostly by making every mistake going.

I work full-time as an IT Manager, so beekeeping is my way of switching off and getting my hands dirty — and I love every minute of it.

I document my journey on YouTube, where my channel Ty-Fry Honey has grown to nearly 19,000 subscribers. My goal has always been simple: share what I'm learning honestly, so that other beginners don't feel alone when things don't go to plan.

I'm passionate about keeping beekeeping accessible and finding practical, real-world solutions that actually work in the hive. I'm genuinely excited to be part of Hagens Heroes and to put their products through their paces in my apiary here in Wales.

You can follow Andreas' journey on Instagram here or on YouTube here!

JAMES - HAMPSHIRE

Hello! I’m James, and I began my beekeeping journey in 2024, along with my wife Marie. We wanted to explore something completely different, so we chose to focus not on honey, but on all the incredible benefits honeybees provide. This led us to create Open Hive, a community-based charity dedicated to giving back to our communities. Our honeybees have a unique role in promoting well-being and mental health. They help individuals reconnect with nature, offering a break from screens and the stresses of everyday life. Through our rehabilitation services, we provide purpose and mentorship, helping people refocus and regain their sense of direction. Education is a cornerstone of our mission. We teach children and adults of all ages about the vital importance of our pollinators and their role in our ecosystem. After visiting Moldova in 2023 and witnessing extreme poverty firsthand, we decided to dedicate some of our colonies to help alleviate this issue. These colonies produce surplus honey, which is jarred and sold, with the profits directed toward charitable projects through the remarkable organization Hope4. When you open a beehive, you’re greeted by a beautiful chaos—a fascinating glimpse into the complex life of honeybees. We capture this experience and witness the profound effect that inspecting a honeybee colony for the first time has on our visitors.
Website: Open Hive
Instagram: openhivebeekeeping

SAM - LEEDS

Hi there! My name is Sam Taylor, I am a NHS Project Manager living in Leeds and I am in my third year of beekeeping. I have two hives and one nucleus colony currently in my back garden but I have plans to expand that number to four hives. I am planning to set up an additional apiary at my local allotment which all things being well will have four hives by the end of the 2025 beekeeping season. Because I am still new to beekeeping, I am always open to new ways of doing things and new products to try out. I am looking forward to sharing my experience of Hagen's products as a Hagen Hero in the hopes of helping anyone who is also fairly new to beekeeping and wants to try something different for their bees.


You can follow Sam's journey here!

CONNOR - KENT

My name’s Connor, and I’m a full-time Restaurant Manager in East Kent. My passion for bees developed from my lifelong interest in biology, a subject in which I graduated with Honours a few years ago. My final-year Honours project involved working with other invertebrates in a laboratory, and I was always reading about bees in my spare time.

I met my wife, Rachel, while I was studying and working part-time in restaurants. Our relationship flourished, and we quickly moved in together. We then had our daughter, Isabelle, who is now 10 months old. I soon realised that I had far less time for my hobbies of wildfowling and shotgun shooting, so I needed something closer to home and something I could involve my daughter in as she grew older. My wife has also been leaning more into the hobby as we've expanded and is exceptionally talented with the social media side of things, as well as with marketing, branding and packaging. Beekeeping has become such a wonderful hobby for us to share as a family and I honestly couldn't do it alone so here is a shoutout to Rachel (and Isabelle) for coming along for a ride she had no interest in getting on!

This is where the bees came in! I bought four overwintered nucleus colonies at the beginning of spring, and they did so well that I now have 14 colonies across two apiaries. I’m excited for my daughter to grow big enough to wear a bee suit, and I hope she will share my passion!

With my rapidly expanding apiaries, I’m always on the lookout for new beekeeping equipment that can make life easier for both me and the bees. This is certainly handy when living on the doorstep of Hagen’s here in Kent! I’m excited to try different pieces of equipment and share my experiences with my followers and anyone else who shares a love of all things bees as part of Hagen’s Heroes. You can follow Connor’s journey on Instagram here!