The Autumn Beekeepers’ Convention & Hampshire Honey Show is back! Join us at the Sainsbury Building, Sparsholt College for a buzzing time
🎉 The Autumn Beekeepers’ Convention & Hampshire Honey Show is back! 🍯Join us at the Sainsbury Building, Sparsholt College, for a buzzing day of expert talks and a celebration of everything beekeeping has to offer.
Event Date: Sunday 4th October 2026 from 08:00 – 16:30
Whether you’re a seasoned beekeeper or simply curious about the wonders of bees as a beginner, this is an event you won’t want to miss.
🎟️ TICKETS GO ON SALE 1st July 2026 at 12:00 – A change this year – ticket are prices at just £5 per member with a small admin fee charged by Eventbrite. You will see any charges added by EventBrite at Checkout before your purchase your tickets.
🍯 Entries into the Hampshire Honey Show are free.
🧠 CONVENTION TALKS AND WORKSHOPS:
Marin Anastasov – Honey, 130 Million Years (In the making)
Honey bees and flowering plants co-evolved over millions of years to be completely dependent on each other. In this talk you will gain insight into this evolutionary process, discover what the earliest flowers and bees were like, and find out about photosynthesis and use of sugars in both plants and animals, and nectar secretion, the factors affecting it and how bees make use of it.
Lynfa Davies – Preparing your bees for the winter
The dynamics of a colony are cyclical and understanding how and when we can support our bees throughout this cycle is key to the colony’s success as well as our own success as beekeepers. For the bees, winter forms a significant part of this cycle, and it is essential that they start this period in a strong, healthy position to maximise their chances of making it through to the next spring. Reported winter losses have been high in recent years, and this talk will explore some of the reasons why and what we can do to minimise this happening to our colonies.
Claire Bethune – Anaphylaxis
Simon Tuck – Smoke but no mirrors: making queen rearing doable
Queen rearing has acquired a reputation as one of the most difficult aspects of beekeeping. I am not convinced. In this practical and light-hearted seminar, I’ll show how ordinary beekeepers can raise their own queens using methods ranging from simple colony splits to basic grafting. We’ll cover what really matters, common mistakes, and why the bees are usually much better at raising queens than we give them credit for. My aim is simple: to demystify queen rearing and give you the confidence to have a go yourself next season.
🔬 PLUS: The Return of the Popular Microscope Class! Master Beekeepers Christine Coulsting & James Donaldson guide you in preparing and identifying honeybee anatomy. Discover the hidden beauty of the honeybee under the microscope—prepare to be amazed!
IMPORTANT TICKET INFORMATION: When selecting your tickets at checkout please make sure you select the correct ticket as this will dictate the speakers and workshops you attend. If you make a mistake you can amend on eventbrite as long as tickets are still available in the other groups. We regret that as we are charging such a low amount for entry we can not entertain any refunds. Tickets can be transferred to others and to other groups.
If you select either the Green or Red Tickets, the sessions you will attend are:
- Marin Anastasov: Honey – 130 million years in the making
- Claire Bethune: Information and findings from the Anaphylaxis study
- Lynfa Davies: Preparing your bees for winter
- Christine Coulsting / James Donaldson: Microscopy workshop
Please note that the class size for the microscopy workshop is limited. The RED and GREEN groups have a maximum limit of 30 attendees each. Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis for these two groups.
If you purchase a Blue Ticket, the sessions you will attend are:
- Marin Anastasov: Honey – 130 million years in the making
- Claire Bethune: Information and findings from the Anaphylaxis study
- Lynfa Davies: Preparing your bees for winter
- Simon Tuck: Smoke but no mirrors: making queen rearing doable
Please note that the class size for the blue tcikets have a maximum limit of 40 attendees each. Tickets will be issued on a first-come, first-served basis for all groups and a waiting list is offered if you miss out on the day.
🏆 COUNTY HONEY SHOW – Think your honey or wax has what it takes to win?
Enter your best creations and be judged by Hazel Blackburn and Suzie Perkins
Delicious confectionery entries judged by Miguel Ourique (Former Chef at Josie’s Café)
Back by popular demand: Streamlined Registration Room with more volunteers for a faster, smoother setup and collection process.
📥 View the full Show Schedule & Entry Form via the link below. Be sure to read the rules carefully to ensure your entries qualify!
🐝 Don’t miss this fantastic day packed with insight, inspiration, and the best of Hampshire Beekeeping.
Get your tickets now and be part of the buzz!