A Hackney resident has beaten the odds producing 20 times more honey than the average London harvest.

Culinary entrepreneur Dominic Rose collected 50 kg of honey - equivalent to 200 jars - from his modest garden hive; despite some beekeepers describing 2012 as “the most difficult year.”

According to a survey by the British Beekeepers’ Association there has been a “dramatic fall” in the amount of honey produced this year compared to 2011.

Most of those surveyed agreed on cold and wet weather conditions as the main reason the yields were so low.

Mr Rose said: “In the UK there is a highly unprofessional beekeeping trade that adds to the bad results.

“I made some mistakes in my first years but I also have done a lot of research.”

The 32-year-old began beekeeping in his back garden four years ago and after improving his understanding of the bees’ behaviour, he is now looking to expand.

He said the reason of his success may lie in his “slightly unusual methods” to deliberately try not to interfere in the colony as far as possible, while still keeping them healthy and alive.