About Bee Local

Bee local leighton buzzard featuring Leighton Buzzard Market and the Market Cross

Bee Local Magazine has been a community magazine for Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding Beds and Bucks villages since 2012.

Our Mission

Our mission is simple: to connect local people with the businesses, events, and good news stories that make our town thrive.

Since our first issue, Bee Local has grown into one of the area’s most trusted sources of community information. Every edition is lovingly crafted, printed, and distributed by a small team who care deeply about Leighton Buzzard and the surrounding villages.

Our website continues that mission as a hub celebrating everything that makes our town special. From local good news stories and monthly “What’s On” listings to lifestyle features and in-depth guides, Bee Local helps readers discover more about the people and places that make our area unique.

Our History

Our very first edition of Bee Local — then known as The Vine Leighton Buzzard — was published in April/May 2012.
Back then, there were six editions per year, with 12,000 printed copies delivered each time.

It was in 2015, we became Bee Local Magazine, a name that better reflected our ‘buzzing’ (sorry) sense of community.

Today, Bee Local prints and delivers 19,000 copies per edition, across ten issues each year, continuing to grow alongside the community we serve.

Part of the Community

Wherever possible, we support our community and the businesses within it. Over the years, we’ve included many thousands of pounds’ worth of free advertising for local charities and organisations.

Since 2013, we’ve worked with Leighton-Linslade Town Council to help organise and plan the annual Business Network Event — and since 2017, we’ve proudly supported it as official sponsors.

We also finance and administer the Leighton-Linslade Directory on behalf of the Town Council, providing free business listings for operators within a six-mile radius of Market Cross.

There are many other ways we’ve contributed; through volunteering, donations, competitions, speaking and sponsorships but we see that as simply part of our role in the community rather than something to shout about here.

Who’s Behind Bee Local?

Andrena Carden-Higgins (née Lovell) is the editor and owner of Bee Local Magazine. She works with a tiny part-time team of talented freelancers to produce each issue.

Fun fact: Andrena is a genus of bees in the family Andrenidae, with over 1,500 species a happy coincidence that inspired both the magazine’s name and local focus.

Fun fact: Our cheerful little bee character is called Herbee (as in “her bee”) see if you can spot him hidden somewhere in every printed edition!

Andrena from Bee Local Leighton Buzzard at the annual Business Network Event

The Economic Impact of Using Bee Local

Every edition of Bee Local supports our local economy in real, measurable ways.
We employ local companies in Beds, Bucks and Herts to print and distribute each issue, helping sustain jobs right here in our community.

Our advertisers rely on Bee Local to generate bookings, sales, and brand awareness, keeping local businesses thriving.

Charities recruit volunteers and attract donations through our pages, and community events see increased attendance thanks to the publicity we provide.

By choosing Bee Local whether as a reader, advertiser, or partner you’re helping to strengthen the local economy and keep our town buzzing.

Get Involved:

Whether you’re a reader, advertiser, or community group, we’d like thank you for being part of our journey. Bee Local is here to help your voice be heard. Explore the pages below to find out more

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