Buying fondant.

[fb2022]

Trying to but fondant in bulk.
What should I look out for?
Is ready to roll fondant or sugar paste okay?
There is often a choice between ivory and white, what do I choose?
Thanks

 

[Gilberdyke John]

Trying to but fondant in bulk.
What should I look out for?
Is ready to roll fondant or sugar paste okay?
There is often a choice between ivory and white, what do I choose?
Thanks

You need white bakers fondant. With one hive you might just as well buy a ready to use slab in a plastic box to invert over the feedhole in your crownboard. It's much cheaper in bulk but for the pack I mentioned above try Simon the Beekeeper on ebay.
There's a staggering amount of information available if you use the forum search facility.

 

[Millet]

I made my own last year.

 

[enrico]

Find a proper baker's that do their own baking and ask them to sell you a box of icing fondant. They will usually give it to you trade if you explain why.
E

 

[fatshark]

Bulk. Hivemaker quoted some extraordinary prices by the pallet earlier in the year. I paid about a tenner for 12.5kg for half a pallet or so.

I wouldn't try making that amount at home

 

[madasafish]

I bought mine here:
http://www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk/our-products/feeders-food/12-5-kg-27-5lb-fondant-block-detail

If all you need is 12.5kg this is the cheapest way of buying one block.

Highly recommended for one off purchases.

 

[Cussword]

I made my own last year.

Me too, never again. Bloody hard work.

 

[Stiffy]

Trying to but fondant in bulk.
What should I look out for?
Is ready to roll fondant or sugar paste okay?
There is often a choice between ivory and white, what do I choose?
Thanks

If you really want it in bulk , contact Bako but you will have to become a member (£100) and orders are generally a minimum of £100.
Its just ordinary Baker Fondant, the ivory stuff may have some colouring added, so I would avoid.
If you just need a block, the other suggestions look good to me.
S

 

[bontbee]

Find a proper baker's that do their own baking and ask them to sell you a box of icing fondant. They will usually give it to you trade if you explain why.
E

I bought mine here:
http://www.simonthebeekeeper.co.uk/our-products/feeders-food/12-5-kg-27-5lb-fondant-block-detail

If all you need is 12.5kg this is the cheapest way of buying one block.

Highly recommended for one off purchases.

I bought from my local bakery a couple of years ago. At £16.00 I thought it was a tad expensive, (having bought through the association the year before at £11.00).

By the time you've added p&p to 12.5kgs from the above supplier, you're talking £24.00. I now see I got a bargain!!!

 

[Millet]

Me too, never again. Bloody hard work.

I thought it was easy but then again if i had more than 3 hives i think i would be buying it.

 

[Gaz1]

people keep saying put a slab of fondant on a hive but how much do people put on? Or is there a ratio that people use? ( so much fondant will get them x stores?)

 

[Gilberdyke John]

people keep saying put a slab of fondant on a hive but how much do people put on? Or is there a ratio that people use? ( so much fondant will get them x stores?)

Try just opening one of these and inverting the box over the feedhole. When its empty swap it for a new one. http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4-x-Beeke...752533?hash=item4178095815:g:iqMAAOxy2d9SWXv2

 

[REDWOOD]

people keep saying put a slab of fondant on a hive but how much do people put on? Or is there a ratio that people use? ( so much fondant will get them x stores?)

Never had a hive take more than one take-away container full of fondant

 

[Dadnlad]

You can pick up clear plastic food cartons like those above in most supermarkets/pound shops

Bakers fondant from your local bakers - they'll order it in on their next delivery so you might have to wait as much as a week

Mine have charged me £8 for a 12.5kg box for the last 3 years, which is cheaper than my local association (even though I told the association where they could get it cheaper for their members !)

 

[Gaz1]

Cheers hopefully won't need it good to know

 

[bpmurray]

I buy Ambrosia fondant which costs me €25 for 12.5kg, and feed a half bag (1.25kg) at a time.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I buy Ambrosia fondant which costs me €25 for 12.5kg, and feed a half bag (1.25kg) at a time.

Morre fool you - exactly the same stuff as the Bako fondant for less than £8.00 a 12.5 Kg slab

 

[Erichalfbee]

You can buy Candipolline Gold which is a pretty yellow colour

 

[bpmurray]

Morre fool you - exactly the same stuff as the Bako fondant for less than £8.00 a 12.5 Kg slab

However, the cheapest bakers fondant I can find is €20 + delivery, so I guess I'm not doing too bad!

 

[Plenty of honey]

people keep saying put a slab of fondant on a hive but how much do people put on? Or is there a ratio that people use? ( so much fondant will get them x stores?)

I use old plastic butter containers. Two reasons.
when i open a slab of 12 kilos of fondant, its easier to quickly divide it all up and none goes off ( or i mean goes rock hard.)
300 grams ( approx per container, is portable and easy to apply on top of the feeder hole. If their desperate and light, i will roll it to the size of the bee space, very quickly, whip off the cover and lay it on top of the frames.
Its stored in a cool area, but if i think i will need a few, i bring them in , in their containers and let them warm overnight in the house.
You can cover over feed when its in place on the crown board, or directly on top of your frames. With insulated bag and/or wood shavings. This is better than polystyrene as it insulated all around the candy and you drape or wrap your bag of insulation all around the candy container. No heat loss from the fondant if they warm it up.
if you feel the tub and its warm, their most lightly working it. As its gets empty, you can squeeze the container and you find it bends really easy as they empty it out.
I say dont give too much, just set up your hive so you can assess the stores level, quickly and efficiently, with no stress to your bees.
putting huge slabs of cold fondant on top of your bees, is not ideal. Ok the method is perhaps more labour intensive, but it does mean you can monitor feed levels if their low and rectify it without any major intrusion, but i also add this is more important on Nucs and their reserves can be dominshed very quickly.
I lost a few nucs last spring through starvation, when i thought they had made it through winter, so learnt a lot. Candy is a good security, but dont over do it. If they have plenty and the hive was full in the autumn, they normally have more than enough until at least the end of February. sometimes you can add fondant and they just dont touch it!