The Bee's Knees!
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BBwear is a family run business based in Cornwall UK. It was founded in 2000 by Belinda and Michael Bright. Between them they have over 60 years of experience working in the textile industry.
Belinda has been working in the manufacturing industry since 1986 and has 10 years' experience as a retail manager for a large company. Michael, since 1993 worked in textile design and workwear production in Cornwall. Both have had experience working alongside beekeepers, both practically in the field and in the development of beekeeping clothing. Belinda and Michael work alongside a small and dedicated team of office and warehouse staff and a handful of machinists working from home.
With their combined experience and knowledge, Belinda and Michael saw an opportunity to develop and produce a range of British made protective clothing for beekeepers. Incorporating a critical level of research, production and quality control with the reigniting ethos of locally produced British garments, BBwear was born. With these values as a forerunner BBwear have grown to be regarded as a market leader by our customers and retailers alike. From these humble bespoke beginnings to the cottage industry it has become, BBwear clothing is now worn all over the world and is recognized for its quality, longevity and practicality in the field.
As the interest in beekeeping and conservation continues to grow, BBwear have opened a shop selling their clothing and beekeeping equipment. This gives the opportunity for passing bee enthusiasts to see where the suits are produced and is very popular with local beekeepers for that last-minute piece of equipment in swarm season!
Since starting, BBwear has grown considerably and Michael and Belinda are now fortunate to have their three sons, James, Steve and Paul working with them. With their continued support, input and enthusiasm the business continues to develop and expand. Steve is a keen beekeeper and now manages our Cornish apiary.
We start by sourcing premium fabrics and components from the UK wherever possible, we only use the best to ensure the highest quality and that our clothing withstands the tests of time. All BBwear protective beekeeping clothing is designed and cut by us in Cornwall, it is then assembled to the highest standards by our own team of experienced professional machinists. Our machinists work from home where we collect and drop work to them. They're very happy worker bees because they are very well looked after and they can work when ever suits (hehe!) them.
All our designs are tested by our beekeeper Steve who will be posting a video showing how he tested the ultra suit soon. Our clothing is tested by commercial beekeepers and pest controllers before being added to our catalogue. Find out more on our YouTube channel. Once we've collected the work from our machinists it is rigorously inspected in house before being sent out to you our valued customers.
BBwear suits offer excellent protection, comfort and quality that is proven to last for many years.
Our suits are designed to give the very best protection and comfort and should be a loose fit, helping you to stay cooler and allow maximum mobility when working with your bees. As they are classed as workwear, our suit sizing allows for clothing to be worn underneath. A bespoke cutting service is available and a team member is only an email or phone call away from answering any queries you may have.
All suits and hoods are interchangeable between styles excluding our vests and childrens bee suits as they use different neck zips. Our hoods are designed to keep the veil well away from the face and ears, creating a wide and airy space, giving excellent clear vision to the front and sides. Hoods can be thrown back when not in use. The Long Life Veiling™ we use is specially made for us, it is particularly robust and will not crack or distort over time (as so many cheaper, inferior veils do) even after washing and should last as long as the suit.
Using high quality, hard wearing, colourfast, machine washable fabrics in a selection of bee friendly colours, we can meet the demands of both professional and hobbyist beekeepers. Our manufacturing quality, ethos and values are present and consistent in our basic range through to the new cutting edge ventilated ultra. We are confident that a BBwear suit worn with the appropriate accessories will give you ultimate protection in the apiary.
From inspiring confidence in the beginner to providing the tested reliability the bee farmer requires, the BBwear team will be here to support you and your suit, in recognition of you supporting us!
