Issue 2 - May to August - Published 30/07/2020

A Bit Of A Buzz!

BBwear has been buzzing for 20 years!

We haven't been able to celebrate our anniversary how we wanted to due to the Covid-19 outbreak. We had new banners, badges, posters, key rings as well as celebratory flyers and thank you cards going out with all of our parcels but we haven't been able to see any of you lovely beekeepers at all the trade shows we usually go to so here is a word from our founders and thanks for your continued support.

BBwear was founded in 2000 by Belinda and Michael Bright. We started creating our range in January 2000 with one machinist helping us to pull it all together. With a total of 5 styles in only white and sage we were ready to launch our range of clothing at the BBKA Spring Convention that year and received a very good response to our products. I remember we took 80 suits and came back with only 2! Quite a cause for celebration.

The first trade show was very different to how we do them now. In order to keep costs to a minimum the BBKA event was a very long day trip! We filled our car with all the stock we had, leaving around 2.30 in the morning to get there in time to set up and be ready for the opening. After an exhilarating and very tiring day meeting our lovely new customers we loaded everything back in the car and drove the 5 hours home.

Today we do trade events at a more leisurely pace travelling up the day before giving us plenty of time to set up and a relaxing evening and a good night’s sleep before the big day. Will Tradex have been the last of the year due to the virus?

Over the last 20 years our business has developed to include a range of bee friendly coloured suits and different ranges of clothing from the basic to new award winning Ultra bee suits. We now export all over the world and exhibit in other countries as well as the UK. We have expanded our team of machinists to 6 who all work from home. Andy has become a valuable colleague who joined us last year. He is helping with the day to day running of things. We have also been fortunate in that our 3 sons, Paul, Steve and James have all joined BBwear and are in the process of taking over the reins from us. Having seen their steps to developing and taking the business forward, we are confident the running of the business is in safe hands and that BBwear, like our friends the bees will be around for a long time to come.

Last but not least, on to you our customer base, Thank you for all your support in the past, present and the future.

Belinda and Michael Bright

2000

2017 - We re-branded BBwear, launched a new website and the Ultra Bee Suit

2020

We have new collaborations coming up very soon which is very exciting so watch this space!

The Ultra Bee Suit - Now Certified PPE!

Our Ultra Bee Suit has been put through all the required tests for PPE certification. Our seams are stronger than our fabrics and the Ultra Bee Suit fabric has 100% porosity giving maximum airflow, where as our Poly/Cotton fabric only allows 12.226666% of the air to flow through the fabric so you can really feel the breeze through our Ultra Range with giving 87% more ventilation!

This Ultra Bee Suit is taking the market by storm as it is giving the beekeeper's the coolest and most sting proof protection available. Along with the PPE certification it also has a 5 year warranty and 28 day satisfaction guarantee. This suit is a great investment and seriously worth considering. 

Ultra Bee Suit - EU Declaration of Conformity

Donations

We've been continuing to support the NHS making hospital slide sheets, cutting scrubs and making face masks, see our last newsletter for more details. We were taking donations on the website from our lovely customers who have donated a total of  £670.50!

Distribution

Donations to our NHS - £580.50
Donations to Cunning Media, Visors for our NHS - £90.00
Total donations £670.50