A New LifeAndrew McGuinness waxes lyrical about his love of bees and how he has made a business out of his beekeeping hobby. He talks to Michelle McDonagh
When Andrew McGuinness's beekeeping hobby threatened to take over his life, he decided it was finally time to pack in the day job and concentrate on developing a business out of his hives.
His father and grandfather were both beekeepers since the 1950s, and produced small amounts of honey for the family and their local community in Clara, Co Offaly.
However, McGuinness decided to take the small family business to another level, creating a new career and lifestyle for himself along the way.
With 120 hives of about 80,000 bees per hive, getting stung is a regular occupational hazard but having worked with bees since he was a young child, this man isn't bothered by bee stings. And overall, he says the pros of his new life far outweigh the cons.
"I employ quite a big female workforce and there are no unions involved," he quips.
Having always had an interest in science, McGuinness graduated from University College Galway in 1993 with a BSc before going straight into the chemical industry working for a company in Athlone. He spent 14 years there as quality manager while working with the bee hives at home in Clara in his spare time.
Four years ago, he went to his first farmers' market at Belvedere House in Mullingar where he sold 100 jars of honey within two hours. Although he had always intended to pursue a career in the sciences, he found himself drawn back to the family farm as the years went by.
"I was bitten by the bug after my first farmers' market but at the time, it was only a hobby in addition to my day job. I quickly realised there was huge potential in producing high-quality foods for the farmers' markets. I realised I was not going to make money out of honey alone and saw the potential for value-added products so I started expanding my product range into beeswax candles and furniture polish," he explains.
With his new products shifting off his stall at the markets along with his honey, McGuinness expanded his range again the following year into chutneys, preserves and honey marmalade which also sold well for him.
He named his new company, Meadowsweet Apiaries after the herb which grows rampantly in the poor soil of Co Offaly.
Then, two years ago, while wearing his 'science head', he developed a range of cosmetics including beeswax handcreams and lip balms and honey and oatmeal soap.
Last year, he won a Great Taste Award for his products from the UK Guild of Fine Retailers and joined the Awfully Delicious food group in Offaly of which he is now chairman.
In March of this year, he won an Irish Food Writers Guild award and two months ago, his business moved up to another level when Sally and John McKenna included it in their prestigious Bridgestone Guide.
"Over the past 18 months, the business really took off but it started getting to the stage where I had no life. I was working in Athlone from 8am until 4.30pm every day and as soon as I got home, I started producing honey straight away. I was at markets every weekend and I had to manage the bees as well on top of everything," he recalls.
He finally decided to take the plunge earlier this year and give up his well-paying quality manager job. So far, he has no regrets. He is currently selling to 45 shops nationwide including a number in Dublin - Nolan's Supermarket in Clontarf, the Hopsack in the Swan Centre, Rathmines, and Caviston's in Glasthule. He also sells to other outlets and markets around the country.
Not a man for titles like managing director, McGuinness explains that it's still very much a family business. Now in his 70s, his father PJ gives him a lot of help with the bees and makes all the beekeeping equipment which they also supply to beekeepers around the country.
His mother Anne applies her culinary skills to making all the preserves and chutneys.
"At this time of year, the work is weather dependent. I have to spend a lot of time with the bees managing them right through the summer
to ensure they don't swarm because if they do, I will lose the honey crop.
"If they are making preparations to swarm, I have to fool them into thinking they already have swarmed as swarming is their natural way of reproduction," he explains.
McGuinness also uses his scientific background to do his own queen rearing, a labour intensive job and he supplies queen bees to other keepers. He invested heavily in a new unit for his honey production last year and is planning to invest in another unit for cosmetic production, which will help progress his expansion plans for the business.
"In my last job, I had a lot of dealings with sales reps, customers and suppliers. A lot of the reps thought I was leaving to join another company or at least going to another job in the same industry. They were gobsmacked when I told them what I was doing, it's such a complete career change."
One of the main perks of his new job is that McGuinness actually has time these days to take the odd evening off and indulge in his other hobbies of hillwalking, fishing and other outdoor activities.
"One of the shop owners that I supply told me that I was in for a life of insecurity by starting out on my own, but that it would also have its rewards.
"I love working with the bees, I have to concentrate so much when I'm working with them that I forget what's going on in the outside world. It's like a form of relaxation, which you can't say for too many jobs," he remarks contentedly.
If they are preparing to swarm, I have to fool them into thinking they already have swarmed