In the early 1920s, Helena, the founder of Simply Bee’s family became part of the farming community in Hopefield, which had been established in the 1850s.
Fast forward to the 1950s, when Derick Hugo, received a beehive as a wedding gift from his father-in-law, who said, “If you cannot afford jam, at least my daughter will have honey on her table.” This gift sparked Derick’s interest in beekeeping. Although he initially pursued it as a hobby, maintaining his own hives for years, his passion grew after his retirement in 1994. He turned beekeeping into a business. Throughout this journey, Derick’s deep connection with bees became a vital part of his history and legacy. His curiosity even extended to the honey badgers, which he thought were after honey but later realised they were seeking protein-rich bee larvae.