The business of bees: Lessons from the hive with Sam Ghai
At the Mole Valley Chamber of Commerce’s breakfast networking meeting on Wednesday 16th July, Sam Ghai—co-founder of The London Bee Company and The Wild Bee Company—gave a captivating talk on the world of bees. What began as a discussion about honey soon became a fascinating exploration of teamwork, efficiency, ethics, and productivity—offering surprising insights relevant to anyone running a business.
Two brands, one mission
The London Bee Company and The Wild Bee Company may share the same founders, but they represent two very different approaches to beekeeping. The London Bee Company leans into traditional methods and products—honey, beeswax candles, and location-based branding (think “South Kensington Honey” or “Dorking Honey”). The Wild Bee Company, by contrast, is contemporary and vibrant, championing lesser-known wild bees and offering bold, colourful products like “magic mushroom” candles and ethically sourced honeys.
While honey bees are prized for their tangible outputs, wild bees contribute indirectly through pollination—vital, but often overlooked.
Editor’s note: Think of this as the difference between product- and service-based businesses. One yields physical goods; the other delivers invisible value. Both are critical, but require different kinds of support and recognition.
Hive mind and team dynamics
Sam explained how a honey bee colony is structured much like a well-organised company. At its peak, a hive can house around 65,000 bees, all with defined roles:
- The queen is the CEO—central, vital, and focused on growth.
- The worker bees are the engine room—handling operations, resource gathering, hive maintenance, and childcare.
- The drones (males) have one function: reproduction. If they don’t succeed, they’re redundant; if they do, they die in the act.
Editor’s note: This structure mirrors functional teams in business. Strong leadership, operational support, and short-term contractors all play their part. It’s a model of specialisation, purpose, and shared vision.
Bees also manage internal affairs during difficult weather—maintaining hive temperature, protecting the brood (young), and storing resources. They adapt to conditions without external help.
Editor’s note: Consider this organisational resilience. Businesses, like hives, must prepare for quiet periods, adapt to change, and focus on internal optimisation during downturns.
Urban success stories
Despite perceptions, Sam shared that urban hives often outperform rural ones. His colonies in central London—at the Tate, Westminster, and BBC Television Centre—regularly outstrip countryside yields. In one case, a hive produced 120 kilos of honey in a year—translating to nearly 400 jars.
Editor’s note: Just as remote or flexible teams can thrive with the right infrastructure, urban bees succeed because of access to diverse forage and smart management. Productivity isn’t about location; it’s about conditions, resources, and support.
To manage high volumes, Sam’s team uses modern tools like automatic uncapping machines and electric centrifuges. These reduce manual labour and increase efficiency—just as businesses leverage automation to scale operations.
Ethics over profit
Perhaps the most powerful part of the talk came when Sam discussed royal jelly—a lucrative but ethically questionable product. Harvesting it involves initiating queen development, then killing larvae before they mature, purely to collect the nutrient-rich jelly.
Sam refuses to produce royal jelly on moral grounds. “If I did this for the money,” he said, “I’d be a very different kind of beekeeper.” His companies are driven by love for bees, not profit margins.
Editor’s note: This is a reminder that business ethics matter. Not everything that’s profitable should be pursued. Long-term trust and brand integrity often stem from these decisions.
What’s really in your honey?
Supermarket honey, Sam revealed, is often highly processed, blended from multiple sources (labelled simply as “EU and non-EU honeys”), and sometimes even adulterated with rice syrup. In contrast, raw honey from a local beekeeper captures a snapshot of the environment—season, flowers, moisture, and all. It’s unfiltered, unpasteurised, and full of natural enzymes.
Editor’s note: The lesson here? Authenticity and transparency are premium values. Customers will pay more—and stay loyal—for quality, provenance, and a story they trust.
What businesses can learn from bees
Sam’s talk may have focused on bees, but the lessons were strikingly applicable to the business world. From agile teamwork to sustainable growth and values-led leadership, the hive offers a compelling analogy.
Editor’s note:
- Structure and roles: Every bee (and employee) needs a purpose.
- Resource planning: Store up during busy seasons to survive lean ones.
- Ethical foundations: Build a business that respects its workers—human or otherwise.
- Adaptability: Conditions change—flexibility keeps you alive.
To explore Sam’s products or sign up for his engaging workshops, visit:
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