Our very first collaborative project was to make a batch of Drayton Hives to the unique design of an Oxfordshire bee-keeper.
Andrew Bax contacted us in 2020 with a prototype hive that he was keen to develop for low volume production. We collaborated to production engineer the hive; taking his design and making it suitable for our production methods and an efficient use of timber. The cladding is made from homegrown Western Red Cedar and the framework is oak.
draytonbeehive.com
‘I’ve just unwrapped the beehive and it’s beautiful. From the first whiff of cedarwood I had a feeling this was going to be a work of art! The joinery is wonderful, the wood has been so carefully worked, planed and sanded, it feels almost like silk. Everything fits together and has clearly been thought through, from the oak legs, to the dropping down floor, to the observation window that closes downwards, not upwards, the metal strips, the enclosed insulation, the ventilation, it is clear that so much thought and care has gone in to the making of this hive. I hope my next (lucky) swarm of bees loves it as much as I do. Please thank all the members of your team who so lovingly crafted this hive, and let them know I will enjoy and appreciate their work for years to come’
Customer, Isle of Arran