The Great Honey Heist !

[clv101]

We import around 90% of the honey we need, so cannot meet demand, but some of the local offerings in small shops i have seen look disgusting, scum, crystallizing, fermenting, bits in it (lord knows what of) badly labelled, would not want it if they were giving it away.

Nothing wrong with charging a high price, for a high quality product. Too often though the product on the shelf is poor as Hivemaker describes.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

In essence, any beef whatever it's origin, if processed in this country could be described as Irish.
The situation with honey is apparently not dissimilar.

not so, and as for beef - it can be described as 'produce of Ireland/Wales/England/Scotland'
but not Irish/Welsh/Scottish/English beef

It was happening a lot during the BSE crisis - a lot of herds in Scotland were 'closed' so were deemed safer than beef from England so a lot of livestock in the North of England were moved up to Scotland for slaughter and processing.
SWMBO worked in agriculture for Welsh government at that time and one of her colleagues worked out that if all the beef labelled 'Aberdeen Angus' in any one day was genuinely Angus beef - the species would now be extinct!

 

[dpearce4]

Having seen the New Rowse advert implying their honey comes from British bees what exactly is the amount of British honey they sell in the many thousands of tons they sell through the supermarkets?

 

[Quis Custodiet]

Let us agree to differ. There is certainly conflict here between what actually happens and what is legally allowed. Some years ago at the behest of farming organisations, samples described/labelled as Irish beef were procured from all manner of establishments and examined to establish it's origins.
Almost all of it originated from South America and of all places Botswana. The situation has improved since then, but I am not aware of any prosecutions at any time.

 

[Goran]

If is true what I heard about price of imported chinese honey in Croatia ( 1 US$).. No wonder that hammered the prices for real honey. Buyers at large don't want to pay much higher price for real honey while the real reasonable price is considered 4,15 US$ for 1st class black locust honey. Then they just pack and label as EU and non EU and in shops such honey cost 6,92-8,31 US$. So higher is profit if is more ( or completelly) chinese in the jar..
For my point of view this will have detrimental impact on honey quality and safety. Let say beeks who depend on income from honey cannot sell for some reasonable price ( to have some little profit) and if they are forced to sell below cost of their beekeeping operation ( to go in minus).. They will be very tempting to feed sugar during forage, or feed with inverted syrup, or at the end sell inverted syrup as honey. That could be like opening pandora box, it could turn in competition who can "make" lookalike honey for cheaper price and pass undetected..
They can take justification - when buyers at large can "make" such, I am not dumb to make the same or even better..

I cannot do it due to my principles, so I will neglect, abandon honey production. Cause I cannot sell for decent price, and I depend partially on that money. This lack of financial resources in qty and in needed time table is devastating me. Now mathematically I have capital for investing and modest living, but in life barelly live from month to month and bypass situations with brain. But these are bypasses, not final solutions. And that also is killing me, I know what, when and with what I should do. But have no resources to do it properly. Now I am unwillingly bad beekeeper..

All these ramblings bursted from me, feel lighter in my chest.. Please delete this post if inappropriate. I apologize..

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

but your implication is that it was legally allowed, I agree however that a lot of things go on that shouldn't be allowed. Look at the black fish scam that the banks were turning a blind eye to - that cost th Irish government millions in EC fines

 

[TOBY-3652]

must put my prices up still£3-50 for 12oz

 

[Hivemaker.]

Having seen the New Rowse advert implying their honey comes from British bees what exactly is the amount of British honey they sell in the many thousands of tons they sell through the supermarkets?

Do they say that all of their honey is produced by British bees, and is this reflected in the labeling of their honey.

what exactly is the amount of British honey they sell in the many thousands of tons they sell through the supermarkets?

Would definitely be best if you ask them this question.

 

[dpearce4]

HM the fact that the advert shows nude people dancing past beehives than then pans out showing a picture of the UK, most normal people would assume that the honey they sell is from the UK.

We all know they would never answer that question and say its business sensitive information and would give competitors an advantage against them.

 

[Hivemaker.]

HM the fact that the advert shows nude people dancing past beehives than then pans out showing a picture of the UK, most normal people would assume that the honey they sell is from the UK.

Then it will say so on the label, but people should never just assume anything.

Sounds like good marketing.

 

[dpearce4]

Then it will say so on the label, but people should never just assume anything.

your talking about the great gullible hordes though

 

[peterbees]

I note that Fortnum's website does not specify the weight of Hoxton or Bermondsey honey...

Here's Fortnum and Mason's reply:
Dear Mr McFadden,

Thank you for your email received 03rd December 2015.

I can confirm that our Hoxton Honey weighs aprox. 200g and our Bermondsey Honey weighs aprox. 227g. (selling at £20 per jar, PMc)

I would like to assure you that your feedback with regards to advertising the weight of the Honey on our website has been passed along to our web team for their consideration.

Should you require any further assistance, please do not hesitate in contacting us.

Kind Regards,

Samantha Childs
Customer Relations Advisor
181 Piccadilly, London W1A IER
+44 (0) 20 7 734 8040 Extension: 34637
WWW.FORTNUMANDMASON.COM

 

[Hivemaker.]

I can confirm that our Hoxton Honey weighs aprox. 200g and our Bermondsey Honey weighs aprox. 227g. (selling at £20 per jar, PMc)

Well there you are everyone, there is the benchmark, you could even under cut this price by a massive £10 and sell all your honey at £30 a lb.

 

[BrianO]

Well there you are everyone, there is the benchmark, you could even under cut this price by a massive £10 and sell all your honey at £30 a lb.

Off the top of my head ( not a lot there at the best of times ! )

"An Artisan product, raw and unprocessed, thus maintaining its health giving properties, produced in the UK by British Bees, foraging on local British flora .

Harvested from hives managed by trained and skilled British Beekepers.

As opposed to imported Honey, which is produced both in the EU and outside the EU, in countries not specified and in quantities from each country not specified.

Honey that is not "single source" like local British Honey.

Honey that is heated to prevent crystallisation ( a natural process ) and as a result of this heating process, thus negating many of its health giving properties by destroying the delicate balance of enzymes and essential oils.

Honey that is also ultra strained to remove fine particulate matter such as the natural pollen grains that add to the overall nutritional balance of unprocessed natural locally produced honey .

Support your local British Beekeeper and help preserve British Bee populations...Buy Real British Honey .

 

[For want of a better word]

Support your local British Beekeeper Buy Real British Honey

Would make a nice bumper sticker!

Nos da

 

[Hivemaker.]

Support your local British Beekeeper Buy Real British Honey .

You could say support the manufacturer for just about every product available on the planet, there is cheap, middle of the row and expensive for everything, good quality or less so, cheap or expensive cars, washing machines, sausages,etc, etc, etc, just about everything, so it is not likely that honey is about to become any different.

If you really feel your supporting British beekeepers and want to do so by paying more, then buy your honey from Fortnum & Masons

 

[BrianO]

You could say support the manufacturer for just about every product available on the planet, there is cheap, middle of the row and expensive for everything, cheap or expensive cars, washing machines, sausages,etc, etc, etc, just about everything, so it is not likely that honey is about to become any different.

That I realise and is irrefutable but if you or I want to get a fair price for your produce , and you know that the competition is a substandard product which is miss sold , the obvious thing is to make this known and highlight it.

You and I know the consumer is being hoodwinked,

I guarantee the average consumer does not know the real difference between Rowse or any other multiple brand honey and your unrefined single source raw honey.

 

[Hivemaker.]

They will soon know when your informing them and selling yours for £40 lb

Now, should i buy a Fiat Panda or a Bentley.

 

[BrianO]

You could say support the manufacturer for just about every product available on the planet, there is cheap, middle of the row and expensive for everything, good quality or less so, cheap or expensive cars, washing machines, sausages,etc, etc, etc, just about everything, so it is not likely that honey is about to become any different.

If you really feel your supporting British beekeepers and want to do so by paying more, then buy your honey from Fortnum & Masons

Now you and I know that is the other extreme, if you want yo support your local British Beek , don't pay the Fortnum and Mason price . Pay a Fair Price !

 

[Hivemaker.]

Now you and I know that is the other extreme, if you want yo support your local British Beek , don't pay the Fortnum and Mason price . Pay a Fair Price !

I agree, £30 lb is plenty, but would not want to undercut them too much, or the public may think our product is inferior in some way.