Local bees, local honey, local bee skincare! Yes please! We are absolutely delighted to have Angela Hall with us this weekend at the Made in Bristol Gift Fair at the Colston Hall. It couldn't get more local than this! We had to find out more about Angela's bee's and her lovely skin care products... over to you Angela...
Please introduce yourself and tell us a little about your work
Hello MIB – my name is Angela, and I’ve lived here in Bristol with my partner and children for over 25 years. I work as a television producer, but started Barefaced Bee a couple of years ago after adding a beehive to my allotment here in central Bristol, and became really enthusiastic about the the benefits of honey not just in your diet (the honey does seem to have cleared up my pollen allergy) but also for your skin. At that time, my son was just off to university to study chemistry, and something he wrote made me look at the ingredients in the shower gels we were using, and the complex, harsh detergent base. I was interested in how skincare could be taken back to the basics, and that a really high quality soap could be made from plant oils – and the very positive difference that made to your skin. I did a lot of reading, training, and experimentation, and now have a formulation that I think works really well, made only with botanical oils (olive, organic coconut, organic shea for example) and our own honey.
The bees aren’t very active at this time of year – they’re just snug in their hives with their winter provisions - so that leaves more time for making soap in larger batches. It needs to cure for 4 to 6 weeks before packing, so I need to be organised. The workshop smells really good now though!
Do you have any tips for anyone selling at Christmas markets?
Lists. Big smile. Lots of good coffee.
We sell gift sets which are in mail-friendly boxes – or ribboned and tagged ready to hand over in person.
Which handmade item is high on your Christmas wish list?
I’ll be walking past Diana Porter’s lovely window display on Park Street hoping something might find it’s way home. Or more practically, hoping my bloke might assemble a few more bee boxes for me!
My Mum’s fab sausage rolls with a bottle of fizz is just about the best bit. Makes the afternoon’s cooking duties much more relaxed, too…
Which artist/maker's Facebook or Twitter feed do you find most inspiring?
Keith Brymer Jones – I love their ceramics and for a bigger company they manage to make their feed feel personal. The video parodies are completely bonkers and make me laugh a lot…
Buying the tree. The lovely flower shop at the end of the road will help you carry it home. I like to get a bit Nigella and make gingerbread cookies to hang on ribbons – I can’t do the icing though, so have a ‘snow scene’ theme! Our dog can’t quite help himself however and always steals these over the following few days, so we just find the ribbons hanging at the lower levels …
Finally, if you could re-design a Christmas decoration what would it be and why?
I’m really not very fond of tinsel, so I think that could do with a bit of a revamp maybe.
Thank you Angela! We are looking forward to seeing your stall on Sunday 7th December. You can find Angela in the Entrance of the Colston Hall this Sunday.
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Thank you Angela! We are looking forward to seeing your stall on Sunday 7th December. You can find Angela in the Entrance of the Colston Hall this Sunday.
Made in Bristol Gift Fair
Colston Hall
Bristol
Saturday 29th November 2014
Sunday 7th December 2014
10am - 4pm
10am - 4pm
Saturday 13th December 2014
10am - 3pm
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