A young beekeeper from Bridgend has been named as one of just three finalists for the BBC Countryfile Young Countryside Champion 2025, after being selected from thousands of nominations across the UK.
Dafydd Pett, founder of The Welsh Honey Company, has been recognised for his passion and dedication to beekeeping and inspiring the next generation to protect Britain’s pollinators.
His beekeeping journey began in 2014, when his late grandfather invited his school to visit the family’s hives. What started with just a couple of hives quickly grew into a thriving enterprise. By the age of 14, following his grandfather’s passing in 2017 from Sarcoma Cancer, Dafydd was managing more than 30 hives, selling honey at farmers’ markets with his father’s help.
In 2019, he represented Wales at the International Meeting of Young Beekeepers in Slovakia, and later that year began creating YouTube videos to mentor and inspire other young beekeepers. The following year, aged just 17, he launched The Welsh Honey Company, which now supplies independent farm shops, butchers, and delis across Wales and England winning prestigious awards such as The Great Taste Awards.
Alongside running his business, Dafydd has also played an active role in the Bridgend Beekeepers Association, first as a co-opted Youth Representative and now as a trustee. He also built the charity’s website and continues to campaign for greater youth involvement in beekeeping.
Speaking about the nomination, Dafydd said:
“I’m passionate about continuing my grandfather’s legacy and showing young people how vital bees are for our environment. With the average age of a UK beekeeper around 65, it’s really important to get more young people involved. If bees disappeared, we’d only have around four years to live – so protecting them is essential for our future.”
The BBC Countryfile Young Countryside Champion Award celebrates young people making a real difference in rural life, and Dafydd’s story of turning a family passion into a growing business stood out to judges.
The winner will be announced in November 2025
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