Hadfield beekeeper celebrates award-winning success

A Hadfield beekeeper is celebrating a string of major awards after his locally produced honey scooped top honours at this year’s Stockport Beekeepers Association (SBKA) Honey Show. 

Andrew Lewis, founder of Hillside Honey, won Best in Show, collected seven trophies, secured 12 first-place awards and a merit, recognising the quality of his honey and other bee-related produce. 

His latest success follows an impressive start to his beekeeping journey, having previously won the Roy Brocklehurst Trophy for New Beekeeper of the Year 2025. 

Andrew’s growing success reflects his commitment to producing quality honey while supporting biodiversity and promoting the importance of bees to the local environment. 

Photo: Andrew Lewis founder of Hillside Honey (left), with the Stockport Beekeepers Association Honey Show Judge.

Beekeeping is part of his family history, with his great-grandfather keeping bees at a home, aptly named The Apiary. Rediscovering that connection later in life sparked Andrew’s interest, leading him to join the Stockport Beekeepers Association and begin with just two national hives. 

Since then, Hillside Honey has grown into an established local venture, with apiaries in Hadfield, Chunal and Hollingworth. Andrew also plans to expand into Charlesworth and Little Hayfield in the coming weeks. 

Each location offers an opportunity to work with the local landscape and the plants that provide bees with their nectar and pollen. 

Hillside Honey produces raw, locally harvested honey that reflects the changing seasons and surrounding countryside. Its range includes spring and summer honey, smooth and soft-set varieties, richer heather honey and traditional cut comb. 

Andrew also makes beeswax candles and bespoke gift sets, offering customers a range of products created from the work of his bees. 

Alongside producing honey, he is keen to raise awareness of the vital role bees play in maintaining healthy ecosystems. 

Bees are important pollinators, helping many wild plants and food crops reproduce. Supporting healthy bee populations and protecting the habitats they depend on are important parts of maintaining biodiversity. 

Andrew has shared his knowledge with local children through educational talks at Gnat Hole Forest School, helping them learn about bees, beekeeping and the natural environment. He has also delivered a talk and demonstration on traditional candle-making. 

He provides a swarm collection service for local residents, helping to manage honeybee swarms safely, and mentors aspiring beekeepers through the Stockport Beekeepers Association. 

Hillside Honey is available locally from Mettrick's Butchers and Twig Coffee Houses, including the recently opened Twig in the Park. 

Andrew also shares updates from his apiaries and his beekeeping activities on Facebook at Hillside Honey Andrew Lewis and on Instagram at @hillside.apiaries