Booking open for our 2026 Taster Day 20th June.

Our not-to-be-missed 2026 Beekeeping Taster Day will be held on Saturday 20th June commencing 9.15am and going through to 4.00pm, at our beautiful well-equipped Training Apiary near Holmwood, Dorking, Surrey.

(detailed location of venue will be provided upon enrolment).

Our course begins in the classroom with informal presentations, then out into the apiary where you will see a demonstration of a real swarm. We will then stop for lunch before returning in the afternoon to the Apiary where, under supervision, you will get up close to the bees, handle the frames and hopefully find the queen. Returning to the classroom there will be practical demonstrations including honey tasting, mead tasting, cake and biscuit tasting and candle making. Although we plan to finish around 4:00pm, we will allow time afterwards to answer any additional questions that the day may raise.

We provide outer protective bee-suits and gloves. You just need to bring some wellies to protect your ankles and we recommend long sleeved tops and stout trousers are worn under the bee-suit provided.Bring your camera/phone and we will make sure you leave with a Selfie of yourself wearing a bee keeping suit, with the bees!

The cost for the day is £85 ( £50.00 for an accompanied 13yr to 17yr child), which includes refreshments, a buffet ploughman’s lunch, a jar of honey originating from the training apiary and a beekeeper’s hive tool as souvenirs of your visit.

To register interest in our 2026 Beekeeping Taster Day …

click here to submit an enquiry to our Training Courses Coordinator

The program for the day will include presentation and demonstration sessions that cover the many different aspects of beekeeping, including:

• Illustrated presentations on:

• Choosing an Apiary Site.

• Stings and First Aid.

• What is a Bee Hive?

• A Beekeeping Year.

• Beekeepers and the Law.

• How Much Does it Cost?

• Benefits of Joining Reigate Beekeepers.

• Practical indoor sessions demonstrating:

• How a Hive Works.

• How Honey is Extracted.

• Looking at the Range of Possible Hive Products.

• Frame Making.

• Practical Apiary sessions, for which:

• Protective bee suits will be provided.

• We request that you bring along your wellies.

• You should wear a long-sleeved top and stout trousers.

• A base ball cap is also useful to bring.

• Allowing hands-on involvement in …

• Getting suited & booted correctly.

• Lighting Smokers … and putting them out.

• Seeing equipment needed for regular manipulations.

• Handling hive frames and boxes.

• Seeing Brood in all stages, capped honey and stores.

• Seeing how various components of a hive work.

• Refreshments available throughout the day.

• Buffet Lunch provided.

• Souvenirs of your day to take away …

• a Jar of Reigate Beekeepers Honey.

• a Beekeepers Hive Tool (actual tool may differ from style shown).

• a Selfie of yourself with wearing a bee keeping suit, with the bees.

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The timing, format and content of the programme will remain subject to adaption for prevailing weather conditions.

Should you need to cancel a booked and paid for place on the course:

Providing your cancellation is at least 14 days in advance of the commencement of the course you will be offered a full refund.
Cancellations made within 14 days of the commencement of the course may not receive any refund if we have been unable to fill the vacant place created.