QUEEN Bee Wraps is going from strength to strength as it prepares for yet another expansion despite only starting up a year ago.

The company, based at Cockenzie House, uses beeswax to create a multi-purpose and reusable wrap that can help cut down on household waste and can be used as an alternative to clingfilm.

It was founded last year by children entertainers Bryden and Louise McKinnie, of Port Seton, after a successful stint of selling honey under the brand name Jacobite Apiaries.

“I believe we’re the first and probably the only commercial wholesaler of beeswax wraps in Scotland,” said bee keeper Bryden. “It’s exciting to know we’re helping thousands of families cut out using clingfilm. Over the last 12 months that’s thousands of metres of clingfilm film not going into landfill.”

Originally, their beeswax wrap was only meant for their own use so they could cut down on plastic.

“At the time on TV, you couldn’t avoid the images on how damaging plastics were being to the environment. From the Sky Ocean Rescue to the Blue Planet series, it was extreme, and we started thinking, well, what can we do to cut down on our plastic use?” added Bryden.

“We’d heard of the beeswax wraps before, so I decided to try and make some.”

At the time, Jacobite Apiaries were selling products at the Haddington Food Assembly, and a quick Facebook post from Bryden to see if there was any demand for the wraps was all it took for this venture to take off.

“There was so much demand straight away, then businesses started getting in touch asking to stock the product,” he said.

“It’s been a year since we started the wraps and we haven’t even had time to find stockists ourselves, they’ve all reached out to us.

“We had to move the business from our home, to a studio in Cockenzie House, to an even bigger studio in Cockenzie House, we’re now hiring a new person to help us. It’s been so exciting!”

The reusable beeswax wraps are naturally anti-bacterial, so keep food fresher for longer.