In episode seven of Peas in a Podcast, host Tamsin Koumis sits down with Gareth Flux and Helen Bolter-Griffin of Dorset Bee and Nature Buzz — two natural beekeepers whose work goes far beyond honey, into the extraordinary territory of human connection, community healing, and the ancient relationship between bees and people.

Gareth and Helen are natural beekeepers, who approach their bees with calm, respect, and a deep understanding of their behaviours , and over the years they have taken that philosophy and built something remarkable around it. From social prescribing through Bridport Medical Centre, where adults experiencing isolation, anxiety, grief and dementia come to spend time with the bees each week, to working with Year 3 schoolchildren who discover that the simple act of handling a bee slows your breathing and steadies your heart — their work is transforming lives in the local community.

At the heart of it all is the Hum Hut - a purple shed beneath which beehives hum at a frequency that activates the vagus nerve, drawing visitors into a deep state of rest and calm. Rooted in hundreds of years of Eastern European tradition, it is now available right here in Bridport, and Gareth and Helen are passionate about seeing it spread.

The conversation ranges across the vital role pollinators play in our food system and soil health, practical and accessible advice for how everyone can help bees in their own gardens, from planting borage and blue flowers to allowing a little wildness and avoiding pesticides. There is also, exciting news that Gareth and Helen are helping to form the UK's first apitherapy society, looking at the healing potential of bee venom.

Deeply knowledgeable, wonderfully warm, and utterly infectious in their enthusiasm - this is a conversation that will make you want to go home and plant flowers immediately.

Find out more about Dorset Bee/Nature Buzz - https://www.thedorsetbee.co.uk/

Find out more about Jurassic Coast Media at - https://jurassiccoastmedia.com.

Find out more about Bridport Food Matters at - https://www.bridportfoodmatters.net/

Peas in a Podcast is brought to you by Bridport Food Matters and Jurassic Coast Media. This limited 8 part series was recorded live at the 2026 Bridport Food Festival. If you're interested in helping us fund future conversations through the sponsorship of new episodes: please reach out to bfm.comms@gmail.com with the subject heading "Let's get talking!" for more information.

🎵: Epidemic Sounds - "I'm the Only One For You" by Mercy Street.