8 | LUXlife Magazine Best Specialty Gift Retailer 2025 – Northern iV rginia & LUXlife Ecx ellence Award in Bee Product Gifts 2025 Bees are an integral member of our ecosystem, and the beekeeping sector is more vital than ever – playing an instrumental role in maintaining biodiversity, safeguarding the country’s food security, and contributing to the income of countless households. One company who understands this well is The Bee Store – a one-stopshop for beekeeping supplies, education, and products, catering to established beekeepers and interested individuals alike. We spoke to Owner Stephen Ryle to find out more. The Bee Store was found in 2017, born from a desire to serve local beekeepers by creating a one-stop-shop location for their beekeeping supplies. What initially began as working primarily with the local beekeepers in the Woodbridge area soon grew to encompass beekeepers from around the country, as well as those from various countries around the world. Now, The Bee Store stands as a beekeeper’s supply, boutique, and gift business – a hub for beekeeping education and community support. The store offers a variety of products made instore, including raw honey, creamed honey, beeswax candles, beeswax soaps, lip balms, perfume balms, lotion bars, hand and face creams, facial scrubs, ointments, and bath bombs. These products – each crafted in-store – are all-natural and straight from the hive, and each has been made with at least one of the following ingredients: raw honey, beeswax, propolis, and pollen. As The Bee Store has grown in repute, it has gained a deeper understanding of the importance of community. The store collaborates closely with local beekeepers to help sell their products by showcasing them in-store, promoting an array of products that include local raw and infused honey, various stationery and stickers, clothing and accessories, jewellery, and gourmet products, such as honey-based lemonade, smoked honey, lollipops, candy, soda, meads, and supplements. With more than 7 years of experience under its belt, The Bee Store is driven by experienced beekeepers hailing from all walks of life. When first starting, The Bee Store would seek out experienced beekeepers to join the team. It soon learned, however, that most beekeepers prefer to be working with their bees – not instore. So, the store shifted gears and sought out those who wanted to learn more about bees, those who jumped at the opportunity to work with them. “What we found was far better than we had expected,” Stephen recalled. “We came across people who had a passion for beekeeping but were not in a position to have hives of their own. With this passion, we started teaching them about beekeeping. In a few weeks, we will be assigning a hive to each employee who wishes to take care of one themselves, and they will get to keep what they harvest.” Each member of The Bee Store possesses the same unfaltering passion for their craft. Not only for crafting products from the beehive, but also for the creatures that make it all possible. “What we truly enjoy is showing off our bees,” Stephen shared. “We keep a live observation beehive in the store, and it allows us to show how the bees work in the hive, along with showing their lifecycle. We work with school age children’s groups, Boys and Girl Scouts, and a variety of adult groups. Our goal is simple: to show how the bees live and work, and to take that fear most people have towards bees away.” This passion is precisely what propels The Bee Store forward, shaping every aspect of its operations. The store has remained dedicated to its founding mission, serving beekeepers and local customers with all-natural products made from the hive. The Bee Store was purchased in October 2023, however, and has gradually expanded this mission to work even more closely with local beekeepers and entities, always working towards education and empowerment. Recently, the store has formed a partnership with George Mason University’s Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship, which operates the Honey Bee Initiative programme. Aiming for widespread education, The Bee Store hopes to start its own beekeeping courses, targeting new and existing beekeepers with the aim of boosting the hobby. Alongside this, The Bee Store is also looking to launch additional classes to teach attendees how to make some of the products sold in-store. “The future plans for The Bee Store are to be more interactive with our customers, and continue to educate the public about our craft,” Stephen concluded. “Beekeeping is not hard, but it’s also not easy. With the right amount of education and support, we hope to show how important the honeybee is to the world, and hope to change it for the better – for all.” Contact: Stephen Ryle Company: The Bee Store Web Address: www.yourbeestore.com
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