Quince Honey Farm

What Quince Honey Farm does

Quince Honey Farm is a family-owned partnership business operating a vertically integrated working honey farm and family visitor attraction in South Molton, North Devon (UK), founded in 1949 and now in its third generation under partners Patrick, Jean, and Ian Wallace. The company's core operations span beekeeping and honey production combined with agritourism, an on-site retail shop, the Nectary restaurant, The Play Hive (a large indoor and outdoor soft play area), educational experiences, and gardens including the first known woodland planted in the UK specifically for bees. Honey and bee-derived products are manufactured on site or under contract and sold across eight documented revenue streams: attraction admissions, retail honey and honeycomb, membership subscriptions, beeswax candles, honey/beeswax skincare, food products (fudge, chutney, marmalade), beekeeping courses and educational books, and restaurant sales.

The business model is direct-to-consumer across both physical and digital channels. Customers purchase tickets, memberships, and products on-site, via the company's own e-commerce storefront (with international shipping), or through a UK stockist network; attraction tickets are also sold through the third-party booking platform Beyonk. Revenue mechanics blend one-time transactional revenue (attraction tickets, product sales) with two recurring annual membership tiers (£50 Full Attraction, £40 Play Hive) and premium paid experiences such as the £150 Beekeeping Introduction Course and the exclusive 'An Hour with the Bees' session. Pricing spans £3 beeswax items to £60 premium comb honey, with skincare products priced £5.95–£10.95 and food items £3–£5.50.

The customer base is primarily families with children seeking all-weather educational entertainment, supplemented by schools and groups, beekeeping enthusiasts, and consumers shopping for honey and natural products. The company employs no AI or machine-learning capabilities and operates with standard e-commerce and payment-processing infrastructure. After relocating to a new purpose-built site in April 2019, the company has since focused on portfolio diversification and sustainability positioning — including 6,130 trees planted since 2019 and recognition through Devon and South West Tourism Awards — rather than geographic or scale expansion.

Name

Quince Honey Farm

Legal name

Quince Honey Farm

Website

https://quincehoneyfarm.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Quince Honey Farm is a family-owned working honey farm and family visitor attraction in North Devon, UK, selling own-produced honey, beeswax candles, skincare, food gifts, and educational courses via on-site retail, restaurant, global e-commerce, and UK stockists.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Honey and Bee Products

NAICS

Apiculture (11291), Apiculture (112910)

SIC

Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Perfumes, Cosmetics & Other Toilet Preparations (2844), Canned, Fruits, Veg, Preserves, Jams & Jellies (2033)

akta.pro primary industry

Honey Production & Extraction (AFAEAHAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Value-Added Bee Products Manufacturing (Candles, Cosmetics, Supplements, Mead Ingredients) (AFAEAHAM), Honey & Apiculture Sweeteners (Honey, Honey Powders) (AFAJAAAL)

Keywords

• Honey production
• Apiary products
• Farm visitor attraction
• Beeswax candles
• Natural skincare

Headquarters

HQ city

South Molton

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Attraction Admissions: Family attraction offering indoor and outdoor activities including Play Hive soft play, honey factory tours, exhibitions, beekeeping experiences, and nature walks. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the door.
2. Honey and Honeycomb Products: Sale of various honey products including Devon Honey, Exmoor Heather Honey, Scottish Heather Honey, complete honeycomb, and specialty flavored honeys. Products range from £7 to £60.
3. Membership Subscriptions: Annual memberships offering unlimited access to attractions including Full Attraction membership at £50 per person and Play Hive Annual Membership at £40, with various discounts at restaurants and cafes.
4. Beeswax and Candle Products: Handmade beeswax candles including rolled candles, dipped tapers, novelty shapes, and DIY candle kits priced from £3 to £17.
5. Skincare and Beauty Products: Skincare range including hand creams, toners, shower gels, lip balms, and soaps made with honey and beeswax. Products are palm oil free and natural.
6. Beekeeping Courses and Experiences: Beekeeping Introduction Course offered at £150 per person, providing hands-on beekeeping experience.
7. Food Products: Salted Honey and Clotted Cream Fudge, preserves including chutneys and marmalades made with honey.
8. Books and Educational Materials: Beekeeping books including The Behaviour and Social Life of Honeybees at £25, Pollen Identification Cards, and Honeybee Disease Identification Cards.
9. Nectary Restaurant: On-site restaurant serving homemade meals, light bites, cakes and drinks. Awarded finalist in Devon Tourism Awards 2021-22 for Café/Tearoom category.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Quince Honey Farm produces and sells raw and specialty honeys (Devon, Exmoor Heather, Scottish Heather, flavored varieties), beeswax candles, honey- and beeswax-based skincare, and artisan food products. The farm also operates a family visitor attraction in North Devon featuring indoor soft play, gardens, an on-site restaurant, beekeeping courses, and educational experiences. The business spans production, retail, and tourism under a single brand.

Product overview

Quince Honey Farm operates as a diversified honey farm and family tourist attraction in North Devon, offering a unified portfolio spanning four distinct pillars: (1) Honey and bee products — raw and processed Devon, Exmoor Heather, and Scottish Heather honeys, complete-comb and cut-comb honeycomb, specialty flavored honeys (Rapeseed, Dandelion, Vanilla Twist, Lemon Twist), plus beeswax candles in multiple formats (rolled, dipped, shaped, tea lights, emergency), beeswax blocks and bars, and DIY candle kits; (2) Honey-based and beeswax-based skincare and body products — Toner, Hand Wash, Day Cream, Nourishing Cream, Lip Balm, Muscle Rub, and a range of natural handmade soap bars (Coffee and Lime, Lavender and Lemongrass, Amyris and Bergamot, and others) all formulated with honey and/or beeswax; (3) Food and preserves — Devon Honey Marmalade, Devon Honey & Real Ale Chutney, and Salted Honey & Clotted Cream Fudge; and (4) Education, experiences, and attractions — beekeeping introduction courses, nature and wildlife walks, indoor/outdoor soft play (The Play Hive), on-site Nectary Restaurant, garden and meadow trails, exhibitions, and annual memberships. The business also sells books, seeds, and pollinator-friendly plants. The product ecosystem centers on the beehive as the source of raw materials that are transformed into consumable, cosmetic, and experiential offerings for visitors and retail customers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Devon Honey (Clear and Set) Raw and processed honey produced from hives in the Devon countryside, available in clear (liquid) and set (crystallized) textures in jar sizes from 227g to 1.5kg. Sold to retail consumers via the farm shop and online store.
• Exmoor Heather Honey Single-origin heather honey produced during August when bees are moved to Exmoor to forage purple heather-covered hills; characterized by a strong, distinctive taste and thick, luscious texture. Sold to retail consumers.
• Scottish Heather Honey Premium heather honey from the Scottish Highlands with an intense, distinctive warm and floral aroma, considered the finest wilderness nectar by connoisseurs. Sold to retail consumers.
• Specialty Flavored Honey (Rapeseed, Dandelion, Vanilla Twist, Lemon Twist) Mono-floral and flavored honey varieties including Rapeseed (creamy smooth), Dandelion, Vanilla Twist, and Lemon Twist, each infused with natural extracts. Sold to retail consumers.
• Complete-Comb Devon Honey Whole wooden-frame honeycomb, minimum 907g (2lb), measuring 40cm x 10cm; served on bread, toast, scones, or with clotted cream. Sold to retail consumers.
• Complete Comb Heather Honey Whole honeycomb frame containing Exmoor Heather honey, minimum 907g, with distinct flavor and thick texture of heather honey produced during the August foraging season on Exmoor. Sold to retail consumers.
• Devon Cut Comb Chunk of honeycomb presented in cut form, typically 190g, for spreading on bread or scones. Sold to retail consumers.
• Beeswax Candles (Rolled, Dipped, Shaped, Tea Lights, DIY Kits) Hand-finished 100% beeswax candles in multiple formats including rolled tapers, hand-dipped tapers, shaped figures (Christmas Tree, Santa, Ghost, Pumpkin, Bear on Skep, Hexagon, Cylinder, Lovers), tea lights, emergency candles, and DIY candle-making kits. Sold to retail consumers.
• Beeswax Block and Bars Pure beeswax blocks (approximately 454g) and bars (approximately 28g) for DIY crafting, cosmetics, and furniture polishing. Sold to retail consumers.
• Honey and Beeswax Skin Care Range Honey and beeswax-based skincare range including Toner (250ml), Lemongrass & Jojoba Hand Wash (250ml), Honey Rose and Beeswax Day Cream (60ml), Honey Beeswax and Calendula Nourishing Cream (60ml), Beeswax Lip Balm (7g), and Beeswax and Eucalyptus Muscle Rub (60ml). Sold to retail consumers.
• Natural Soap Bars Handmade natural soap bars containing beeswax in varieties including Coffee and Lime (exfoliant), Lavender and Lemongrass, Rosemary and Orange, Amyris and Bergamot with Sunflower Oil, Pink Grapefruit and Calendula Petals, Lemon Poppyseed, Eucalyptus Tea Tree and Mint, Honey and Oat; most are palm oil free. Sold to retail consumers.
• Salted Honey & Clotted Cream Fudge Traditional handmade fudge infused with Devon Honey, produced by trained confectioners in copper pots; available in bag (175g) and drum (150g) formats. Sold to retail consumers.
• Honey Preserves (Chutney and Marmalade) Preserves including Devon Honey & Real Ale Chutney (190g) and Devon Honey Marmalade (220g), combining local ingredients with honey. Sold to retail consumers.
• Beekeeping and Honeybee Books Educational books including The Behaviour and Social Life of Honeybees, Form and Function in the Honeybee, Honey and Healing, and Pollen Identification Cards. Sold to retail consumers.
• Bee-Friendly Seeds Seeds for bee-friendly garden plants including Honesty (Lunaria annua), Echium Blue Bedder, Cornflower, and Sweet Rocket. Sold to retail consumers.
• Beekeeping Introduction Course and Experience Days Paid educational experiences including the Beekeeping Introduction Course (full-day course, £150) and An Hour with the Bees exclusive experience; aimed at visitors wanting to learn beekeeping.
• The Play Hive Soft Play Large indoor and outdoor soft play area at Quince Honey Farm, one of the largest in North Devon; includes toddler and baby soft play, climbing ropes, slides, outdoor play area, and picnic area behind the lake. Also hosts weekly classes (Tiddly Music, Jiggy Wrigglers, Sarah's Messy Play) and birthday parties.
• Nectary Restaurant On-site restaurant serving homemade meals, light bites, cakes, and drinks; finalist in the Devon Tourism Awards Café/Tearoom category for 2021-22.
• Full Attraction Annual Membership Annual membership at £50 per person providing unlimited access to all areas of the attraction including play areas, gardens and activities; includes 10% off in Restaurant and Play Hive Café; valid for 12 months; for ages 2+.
• Play Hive Annual Membership Annual membership at £40 providing unlimited access to indoor and outdoor play areas for 12 months within opening times; includes 5% off in Play Hive Café.
• Attraction Day Tickets Day admission tickets to Quince Honey Farm visitor attraction offering access to indoor and outdoor activities including Play Hive soft play, honey factory tours, exhibitions, beekeeping experiences, and nature walks. Tickets can be purchased online in advance or at the door.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6130 trees planted since 2019 as part of sustainability commitment
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Farmers (Rapeseed Pollination)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFarmers welcome Quince Honey Farm's hives to their rapeseed crops in spring, helping with pollination while the bees gather nectar from bright yellow fields around the Westcountry to produce their creamy, smooth Rapeseed Honey. This mutually beneficial relationship supports both agricultural pollination needs and honey production.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• The Big Sheep: Devon-based family theme park and farm attraction featuring animals, rides, and on-site retail. Directly comparable as a North Devon family day-out destination combining farm/agricultural theme, retail shop, food and beverage, and admission-based revenue.
• Riverford Organic Farmers: Devon-based organic farm with direct-to-consumer subscription boxes, farm shop, and on-site experiences including Pick Your Own and farm events. Comparable as a vertically integrated farm producer with DTC retail, subscription revenue, and visitor experiences tied to a single farm location.
• Buckfast Abbey: Devon heritage site famous for its Buckfast honeybee breed and on-site honey production, with visitor centre, shop, and gardens. Directly comparable as a honey-producing visitor attraction with retail sales, gardens, and educational narrative around bees.

Broad incumbents

• The Donkey Sanctuary: Major Devon-based animal welfare charity and visitor attraction with free admission, gift shop, and restaurant. Comparable as a large-scale Devon animal-themed visitor attraction combining educational narrative, retail, and family audiences.
• Eden Project: Cornwall-based visitor attraction with biomes, gardens, educational programs, retail, and food and beverage. Comparable as a South West UK environmental/educational destination with pollinator gardens, on-site retail, and membership programs, though at materially larger scale.
• National Trust (Killerton / Arlington Court): Major UK heritage and conservation charity operating gardens, farm shops, cafes, and membership programs at North Devon properties. Comparable as a destination competing for the same family day-trip audience with gardens, retail, food, and annual membership, though with broader heritage scope.
• Rowse Honey: UK's largest honey brand, owned by Valeo Foods, sourcing and packing honey at scale across retail channels. Comparable as a UK honey producer with retail presence, but operates at commodity scale without a visitor attraction or experiential component.

Others

• Hives for Heroes (or similar UK beekeeping association): British Beekeepers Association (BBKA) is the UK umbrella body supporting beekeepers through education, insurance, and events. Comparable as an ecosystem enabler for UK apiculture that Quince Honey Farm overlaps with through its beekeeping courses and educational experiences.

Regional players

• Crealy Theme Park & Resort: Largest family theme park in Devon with indoor and outdoor attractions, on-site accommodation, and food and beverage. Comparable as a regional family attraction competing for the same North Devon day-trip visitor, but with broader amusement-park positioning versus Quince's agricultural/beekeeping focus.

Emerging players

• Hilltop Honey: UK-based premium honey brand founded more recently than Quince, selling raw and Manuka honey through DTC e-commerce and major retailers. Comparable as a UK honey brand competing for the same premium natural-honey consumer, but without the farm attraction, heritage, or experiential component.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/quincehoneyfarm

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Quince Honey Farm