The Buckfast bees are a species with a heritage that mainly comes from A.m. ligurica (North Italian), A.m. mellifera (English), A.m. mellifera (French), A.m. anatolica (Turkish), and A.m. cecropia (Greek). This is in addition to a heritage from two rare and docile African stocks, A.m. sahariensis and A.m. monticola.
The Buckfast bee was developed by "Brother Adam", (born Karl Kehrle on 3 August 1898 in Germany), who was in charge of beekeeping at Buckfast Abbey, where the bees are still bred today. Most of the breeding work in Europe is done by breeders belonging to the breeders accociation "Gemeinschaft der Europäischen Buckfastimker".
This organisation is maintaining a pedigree for Buckfast bees, originating from Brother Adam's years.
