Beekeeper buzzing after winning award
An Oban beekeeper was celebrating this week after receiving an illustrious industry award at a recent ceremony in London.
Stephen Sunderland, 62, who was presented with the Master Wax Chandler certificate for Master Bee Farmer at the ceremony, has been a beekeeper for more than 30 years.
He retired in 2019 from his role as lead bee inspector at the Scottish Government, having been headhunted as the most qualified person for the role in Scotland.
Becoming a Master Bee Farmer marks a distinguished career in beekeeping, a skill that takes a lifetime to master.
Stephen told The Oban Times: ‘I have been doing this for many years. My father was a beekeeper, so I think that’s where I caught the bug from.’
The award, given to Stephen by the Lord Mayor of London, is presented by the Wax Chandlers Company, one of London’s leading livery brands.
The day itself saw Stephen, and his wife Cathie, travelling to London to accept the award at the official residence of the Lord Mayor, William Russell, who himself takes a special interest in the skill due to his wife’s love of beekeeping.
The beeswax produced by Stephen, and other beekeepers, was traditionally used to produce candles, lubricant and polish, therefore beekeeping falls under the remit of Wax
Chandlers, which has committed to sustainability and good environmental practices, shown by its support of husbandry and research. This work has seen a re-establishing of links with the beeswax industry.
Speaking of the recognition for his work from such a distinguished company, Stephen said: ‘It was such a humbling experience as I am only the seventh person to ever receive the award. This is a big deal within the industry.’
Stephen’s son Ben spoke of his pride of his father’s achievement: ‘It’s great to see one of your parents recognised for anything, as good work can often go unnoticed.
‘My dad is well appreciated within the industry, so it’s fantastic to see that his work has been noticed.’
Beekeeping is a skill that is becoming increasingly popular in Scotland, with beginners’ courses regularly filled with eager participants, desperate to learn the secrets of the trade. Bee population numbers are also on the rise.
Stephen recognises this as he is involved in setting up a database to record the numbers of the insect in Scotland.
He continued: ‘We saw that there was an increase and decided to set up a database to quantify it. We observed that there was in fact a rise in numbers, and this is now backed up by data.’
However, Stephen says this information should be taken with a degree of caution due to the difficulty in measuring populations.
With regards to the future, Stephen hopes to continue with his passion, and now has his own colony, spending valued time with bees even in retirement.