Showing honey

[stephenpug]

I went to a honey show recently and entered some exhibits ,When I had a look after the judging I had not come any where in any of my classes but the chap who was on hand looking after the exhibits told me that I never stood a chance as the same person won the same classes every year
The reason they won it every year was they were entering the same jars of honey year after year and the exhibits they were showing this year were at least 4 years old
Is this breaking any rules or is it just not ethical

 

[enrico]

Depends on the rules of the show!

 

[REDWOOD]

Well he's only got next year left then it's out of date, the only thing is can you prove it

 

[BeeJayBee]

Give them a good run for their money next time. It is possible for a relative newcomer to win big prizes - DPearce4 did it last year

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=453

 

[stephenpug]

Well he's only got next year left then it's out of date, the only thing is can you prove it

No I can't prove it only got the word of the chap who was looking after the honey but he did seem pretty p###ed of about it
I did ask him if he was showing any of his honey to which he replied it was not worth it

 

[BeeJayBee]

No I can't prove it only got the word of the chap who was looking after the honey but he did seem pretty p###ed of about it
I did ask him if he was showing any of his honey to which he replied it was not worth it

It sounds more like he was annoyed that one person's honey is consistently judged as better than everybody else's.

 

[dpearce4]

Give them a good run for their money next time. It is possible for a relative newcomer to win big prizes - DPearce4 did it last year

http://www.beekeepingforum.co.uk/album.php?albumid=453

Yep but I didn't this year, I stupidly under filled my jars by less than 1/2mm so was disqualified.

Mind you my honey buns won first prize so it wasn't a total disaster.

 

[stephenpug]

Yep but I didn't this year, I stupidly under filled my jars by less than 1/2mm so was disqualified.

Mind you my honey buns won first prize so it wasn't a total disaster.

Well done dpearce4
Like me there is always next year ( its only a bit of fun lol )

 

[dpearce4]

still have the nationals at the end of October, have more products to enter for that this year so still time lol.

 

[La Folie]

Unfortunately, I have seen the same thing at both local and regional shows from members of my own Association. Successful exhibiters of not only honey but honey products put them in the freezer until needed. I have to agree that it is not really fair.

 

[La Folie]

Unfortunately, I have seen the same thing at both local and regional shows from members of my own Association. Successful exhibiters of not only honey but honey products put them in the freezer until needed. I have to agree that it is not really cricket.

 

[masterBK]

I first won a prize in a honeyshow when I was only 12 yrs old and have been a show judge for nearly 30 years. Experienced exhibitors with decent quality honey do tend to win most of the classes as they have the skills and are prepared to spend the time to carefully select and present their honey well making sure they meet the schedule requirements. However a current years honey of equal viscosity to an old sample will always have the edge over an old sample of the same honey type as the aroma and taste are that much fresher so most exhibitors will use current years honey wherever possible . Sometimes you do get an outstanding honey and will use it for several years until a better one turns up. You need to be able to recognise this honey when you get it and then store a sealed bucketful somewhere cool to supply you with enough honey to last for several shows.

The way to beat the old pros is to learn their techniques of presenting your honey for show, meet all the schedule requirements and enter good quality honey extracted from fully capped combs , strained so that it is crystal clear (for liquid classes) with no evidence of incipient granulation, bottled in spotlessly clean jars with clean undamaged lids. It is also pointless entering honey with more than 18% water content as it will be so thin that it has very little chance of winning (get a refractometer to check the water content). Some of the best flavoured honey on the show bench come from hives collecting nectar from surrounding gardens rather than from hives kept in the limited flower range of the countryside . Get Bernard Diaper in (renowned judge and showman from nearby Sutton Coldfield branch) to give your Birmingham branch a talk on preparing honey for show. Honey entered in most shows can be from any year. Dark honey is so rare these days that some entries may be twenty or more years old!!

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Well he's only got next year left then it's out of date

Thats only for sales - and the four years is only what we are advised to put, it's not a mandatory period - you could put Best Before end............of the world if you wanted to!!

Unfortunately, I have seen the same thing at both local and regional shows from members of my own Association. Successful exhibiters of not only honey but honey products put them in the freezer until needed.I have to agree that it is not really fair

When I won first for my frame of honey this year i was advised (it was a superb frame BTW) by an old stager to wrap it in a towel and keep it for next year's show season especially as getting a good capped frame in time for the Royal Welsh is usually a bit of a task.
I was told there was an old lady in the association (still alive but doesn't keep bees any more) who once had an exeptional batch of honey - she put the same jars in every year to the association honey show and won! in fact the honey progressed from winning first in the light class to medium and finally dark!!

 

[itma]

...
I was told there was an old lady in the association (still alive but doesn't keep bees any more) who once had an exeptional batch of honey - she put the same jars in every year to the association honey show and won! in fact the honey progressed from winning first in the light class to medium and finally dark!!

Wasn't it your association where someone won something with some Tesco honey?

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

Wasn't it your association where someone won something with some Tesco honey?

aye - our president was judging that year and the chairman put it in as a windup (Cyril banned him on the spot!! - they're both still with us though )

 

[Taylan]

I first won a prize in a honeyshow when I was only 12 yrs old and have been a show judge for nearly 30 years. Experienced exhibitors with decent quality honey do tend to win most of the classes as they have the skills and are prepared to spend the time to carefully select and present their honey well making sure they meet the schedule requirements. However a current years honey of equal viscosity to an old sample will always have the edge over an old sample of the same honey type as the aroma and taste are that much fresher so most exhibitors will use current years honey wherever possible . Sometimes you do get an outstanding honey and will use it for several years until a better one turns up. You need to be able to recognise this honey when you get it and then store a sealed bucketful somewhere cool to supply you with enough honey to last for several shows.

The way to beat the old pros is to learn their techniques of presenting your honey for show, meet all the schedule requirements and enter good quality honey extracted from fully capped combs , strained so that it is crystal clear (for liquid classes) with no evidence of incipient granulation, bottled in spotlessly clean jars with clean undamaged lids. It is also pointless entering honey with more than 18% water content as it will be so thin that it has very little chance of winning (get a refractometer to check the water content). Some of the best flavoured honey on the show bench come from hives collecting nectar from surrounding gardens rather than from hives kept in the limited flower range of the countryside . Get Bernard Diaper in (renowned judge and showman from nearby Sutton Coldfield branch) to give your Birmingham branch a talk on preparing honey for show. Honey entered in most shows can be from any year. Dark honey is so rare these days that some entries may be twenty or more years old!!

I quite agree with you I have on occasions been asked why I didn't step down and give some one else a chance but what is the point you have to have standards. I remember when I first started showing we went to Shrewsbury
Flower show and amongst our entries I had a big glass display about thirty pounds in honey and products It was my ambition to win that class the Wrekin Challenge Vase. We were novices with big ideas, We were roped in to do some stewarding the best couple of day's we had needless to say our display was rubbish we came last, But an old boy from Stafford he used to have an educational stand there he came to me and we got talking he said if I give you some advice would you take it , I said i'm always willing to learn its no weight to carry. he said you are all out of balance start at the bottom with your heavy stuff and get lighter to the top make sure your jars are full and most of all clean, Shine a light through it , polish your jars , We talked a long time and what I learnt set my standards, I said to the wife I am going to buy another display so I did off an old beekeeper from Cleveland Jack Taylor We worked on it for 12months the wife making wax flowers Candles & wax products , next year we took the two displays 60lbs of honey & products and entered every class besides, The old boy who gave me the advice came over and said well, I pointed to the two displays not only had we got first prize and the blue ribbon we had 2nd prize as well you could with the display Class, He looked at us and said I knew you would do it, But you don't do things by half do you. The blue ribbon took us to the National in London we won a cup and there was no stopping us. I would always shine a torch through every jar when I am preparing it to make sure it is clean you would be surprised what shows up, when It granulates it will go to the bottom of the jar or side it won't stay out of sight. everyone can be beat so keep trying Listen and learn. Good Luck.