ambrosia bee fondant

[Into the lions den]

You did say you were looking in to this matter - any news?

Nothing yet. I have been out of circulation the last couple of weeks and not in a good way, but recovering now.

James Flint is having some meetings with their clients who wanted to be 'distributors' but have failed to do so. Once he has finished that he is coming to see me, and we will discuss a framework whereby orders for even a single pallet of product will be acceptable for direct supply from the factory.

 

[Into the lions den]

And who in buisness is likely to go to the trouble of importing a product,storing it ect,and then selling it on for exactly the same price they payed for it in the first place from the producer.

Of course that is valid, BUT..............in the sugar trade the normal practice is to operate on pretty low margins. I know that the Belgosuc vendors work on 3%, although they really are brokers rather than stockists.

With certain other products you have a margin of 15% ( even more in certain cases)............at EACH level............and you end up with a product that, relative to its competitors, has an almost identical intrinsic value and very close ex works prices............being very much more expensive.

Having had direct personal contact with some of those who on this forum who have been asked a high price for their chosen product, and knowing exactly how much the vendor paid for it (some of the deals I helped to set up) some of the mark ups are close to 100%.

Yes, if you are going to fund, stock, and provide service you need a reasonable return. Some of the quotes I have heard are a country mile from reasonable.

 

[Liam C Ryan]

Hi Steve. Your measurement of the glucose is a little confusing being a liquid measured in grams and a heaped tablespoonful when you show a level tablespoon. Would it be ok to use 25grams of glucose powder , can,t get liquid glucose, video is excellent.
regards
Liam C

 

[victor meldrew]

What happened to feeding down in September and leaving stocks alone until March/April, I haven't used fondant in 40+ years of beekeeping, or have things radically changed now?
I used to have 250+ stocks and had a feeder on each 12 months of the year.

Varroa !!!
VM

 

[steve's bees]

[QUOTE="Into the lions den, post: 208902, member: 4812"]

The specialist bee fondants do vary slightly from the standard bakers fondant, being manufactured in such a way as to have a smaller crystal size. the theory is that this aids direct ingestion rather than reconstitue to liquid then ingest. The way in which we feed fondant in this country, and the climate, probably mean that the extra money is not worth paying. ( have used many tonnes over the years of standard bakers white fondant and special formula types............not a scrap of a difference )

Thanks for answering my origonal post.

Also alot of people automatically start talking about time whem making things, I know you have to consider your time but only within reason. I have made my own fondant because the suger only cost me 69p per kilo and I struggled to find some where to buy bakers fondant from as they were all sold out. It would of taken more time trying to find some where and also the cost of phone calls and fuel going to collect it or postage cost, or do people not take these thing into consideration.

Here is a good one for them to cost up, how much has 1lb of honey cost them to produce taking into account all the time and the cost of all there equipment they spend related to there hives, bees and honey.

 

[steve's bees]

Hi Steve. Your measurement of the glucose is a little confusing being a liquid measured in grams and a heaped tablespoonful when you show a level tablespoon. Would it be ok to use 25grams of glucose powder , can,t get liquid glucose, video is excellent.
regards
Liam C

Dont know about glucose powder never tried it. I used digital scales to start with to wiegh the glucose syrup. I dont think glucose syrup is classed as liquid as the packaging states contents in grams not litres

Steve

 

[Davelin]

Hi Steve. Your measurement of the glucose is a little confusing being a liquid measured in grams and a heaped tablespoonful when you show a level tablespoon. Would it be ok to use 25grams of glucose powder , can,t get liquid glucose, video is excellent.
regards
Liam C

Dr Oetkers in your local supermarket bakery section

 

[Poly Hive]

It took me all of two phone calls and one Google search to find a baker willing to buy three packs for me.

PH

 

[steve's bees]

It took me all of two phone calls and one Google search to find a baker willing to buy three packs for me.

PH

How much is the cost getting the fondant to you, ie. your time and fuel cost.

Steve

 

[BeeJayBee]

How much is the cost getting the fondant to you, ie. your time and fuel cost.

I can get fondant at £12.50 for 12.5 kilos.

Phone calls less than an hour duration are included in the basic contract, collection point is less than a mile from our house - so we're lucky.

 

[Nellie]

We get a good deal on Fondant but we're lucky in terms of location, not to mention having a Baker to begin with. They don't even use the stuff themselves but are happy to stick a box or two on their order for us at cost price and we chuck them a jar or two of honey in return.

The supermarkets are useless, even if they have an onsite bakery, you have to go through so many levels of bureaucracy that it's not funny.

Yes making it looks a bit of a pain and I am one of those people who factors in my time doing something, especially if it's a bit of a chore but two years ago we had fondant coming out of our ears because of the quantity we had to buy, this year we bought two boxes of the stuff; do you really want to make 50kilos of fondant yourself for the sake of saving a fiver in material costs (if you're lucky)?

Here and the other thread on the relative merits of Ambrosia fondant vs a box of Bako makes me think that I'll probably buy the Ambrosia for Queen Rearing and use the Bako for winter top up feeding where I'm less fussed about having a "finer" product.

 

[steve's bees]

I was under the impression (having never used it) that Ambrosia is a trade name for an inverted sugar syrup feed for bees. What you have posted up is simply a YouTube video for making Baker's Fondant. So exactly what are you asking? You shouldn't be feeding syrup at this time anyway and I'm sure the makers of Ambrosia......which is probably a trade mark, wouldn't like their product name to be used in this way.

Frisbee

I will try to answer for you frisbee

Title to thread (Ambrosia bee fondant) I do know that ambrosia is a trade name who do make bee fondant.
I am well aware that I have posted a video of how to make fondant this was in my 2nd post after someone ask how I made it.
I was actualy asking is there anything special in Ambrosia fondant that is not baker or home made fondant. Someone else as actualy told me there is nothing special it although the particles of sugar are smaller.
At what point did I ever say I was feeding syrup? (I didn't).
Could you tell in what detrimental way am I using the trade name Ambrosia?

 

[victor meldrew]

1kg sugar
300ml water
25g glucose

watch this it realy is this easy www.youtube.com/watch?v=3KyJOM0pejw

Neh Then
I stir from removing from heat ,right up to kneading temp!
Er! I did but not after watching the video.
Save a lot on elbow grease . Cheers .
VM

 

[steve's bees]

Glad you like it VM Im pleased it has been of help to some people. When I make the fondant it sometimes turn out a little soft but all I do is put on paper plates in the hives to stop the chance of it running down the frames

 

[dpearce4]

steve i have made up 50kg of it from ur recipe. really easy and works a treat i use the 700g mushroom trays from tesco to store it in. 2.5kg per tray.

 

[Neil]

Don't know if this is the done thing but I use Silver Spoon Fondant Icing it is £1.09 for 500g box in Tesco's all you need to do is add a few drops of water to it. One box is enough to last one hive a couple of months. It works for me.

Neil

 

[dpearce4]

neil thats really bad for the bees due to other ingredients in it.

 

[Neil]

In what way is it bad for the bees? The ingredients states icing sugar which can be used to dust bees for varroa, and glucose.

 

[dpearce4]

are you talking about the block of ready made fondant or silverspoon fondant icing sugar?

just if its the block it has alsorts of nasties for bees in it. if its the other stuff its new so not seen it yet and you missed the sugar bit on the label lol hence my alarm lol. sorry if i got it wrong.

 

[Neil]

I use silverspoon fondant icing sugar. it is 500g of powder in a box and all you do is add a little drop of water. No expert but the bees seem to be ok using it.