The Great Honey Heist !

[For want of a better word]

But just to show you your not the cheapest, i currently sell mine for £2.30 lb


In bulk six 1000kg IBC's at a time... then that's a bit more than your average 2 hive owner?

Yeghes da

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

You may have noticed that the "Welsh Chunk Honeycomb Amphora" is actually "only" £21 for 908g, or £10.50 per lb. That's not much outside what folk charge anyway.

Ys, but going back to HM's point about poor presentation, I was at Fortnum's in June - the chunk honey (as well as a few other 'runny' honeys) had crystalised to such an extent it just looked like an amphora of set honey - no chance of sighting the chunks at all - very poor

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

I sell mine at £5 for 12oz. I've never advertised, never put a sign at the gate, and only immediate neighbours know there are bees in the garden. ...

I don't offer any other sized jars. No arguments about the price, ever, even though it's dearer than from other beekeepers who sell through local shops.

same here - although I do supply two local retailers. I get people turning up at the door (word of mouth) and only Tuesday evening, after donating a jar of honey to a raffle in my nephew's rugby tour fundraiser I gained two more customers who didn't even comment at the £5.00 for 12 oz price. I'm in the process of bottling up another couple of buckets for Christmas orders!!

 

[Finman]

But just to show you your not the cheapest, i currently sell mine for £2.30 lb


In bulk six 1000kg IBC's at a time... then that's a bit more than your average 2 hive owner?

Yeghes da

In harbour you may buy 1.50/lbs honey
as 10 000 lbs doses.

 

[Into the lions den]

Leaving that aside ILTD, would be interested in your point if view as a commercial enterprise, what is you're opinion on my post re the price commanded for the specific product that is, in your case English Raw Unprocessed Honey ?

There are two completely meaningless terms in there that are misused all the time. 'Raw' and 'unprocessed'.

Raw is often a cover all for product that is not perfectly clean, and if its in a jar it is processed. You need to be far more specific than that to define what type of processed you mean. Otherwise its just feelgood talk to sell a product probably no better or worse than other beekeepers product.

Ultra filtration is rare. Overheating is rare, and more common in small producers anyway who are not necessarily checking hmf and do not have the quality procedures in place to avoid it.

One of the leading suppliers of 'raw' honey (not in the UK) actually buys in barrels of filtered (and proper filtering uses a gauge of filter that NEVER pollen strips the product) honey from the beekeepers, and the back added an amount of non problem filtrates (esp wax bits and pollen plugs) to the finished item.

The best.....and worst.....packed honey comes from smaller beekeepers. One thing is common though. The claim that local honey is the best in the world and is somehow superior to all else. Its seems that no matter where you go....I have heard the claim in many diverse places from around the world....that is a genuine belief of the beekeepers in the area. No other country has any belief whatsoever that British/Irish honey is the best. Its a bit parochial, but if we did not pedal that idea we would not get a viable price.

As for me? Well I sell all my honey in 300Kg drums. It leaves here never heated and semi filtered. What the client does with it is up to them. I never make false or exaggerated claims about it. About 75% of our production is heather.

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

There are two completely meaningless terms in there that are misused all the time. 'Raw' and 'unprocessed'.

Raw is often a cover all for product that is not perfectly clean, and if its in a jar it is processed. You need to be far more specific than that to define what type of processed you mean. Otherwise its just feelgood talk to sell a product probably no better or worse than other beekeepers product.

Just meaningless mumbojumbo made up by the snake oil salesmen and market drummers

 

[Thymallus]

Just meaningless mumbojumbo made up by the snake oil salesmen and market drummers

Don't knock the mumbojumbo too much, it sells honey....when you are in the front line any edge helps. What the customer wants, the customer gets, apart from a discount .
If they want "raw" honey that is what I sell, If they want "natural" (as opposed to unnatural!?) that's what I have. If they want an explanation of it all that's what they get. It may be total claptrap but it sells honey and hopefully keeps a few from buying the "cheap" imports from the supermarkets.
They keep coming back for more so they obviously like it.

The most frequent requests are for "local" honey for hay-fever allergies. Now I always tell them I cannot guarantee it will work and always ask if they get hay-fever in spring or summer. I explain that if it doesn't work they still have a top quality product to eat and are helping British bees. One or two swear it works....

 

[BrianO]

Just meaningless mumbojumbo made up by the snake oil salesmen and market drummers

Snake Oil.... Not bad on toast ! As for Drummers... Keith Moon RIP !

 

[BrianO]

Don't knock the mumbojumbo too much, it sells honey....when you are in the front line any edge helps. What the customer wants, the customer gets, apart from a discount .
If they want "raw" honey that is what I sell, If they want "natural" (as opposed to unnatural!?) that's what I have. If they want an explanation of it all that's what they get. It may be total claptrap but it sells honey and hopefully keeps a few from buying the "cheap" imports from the supermarkets.
They keep coming back for more so they obviously like it.

The most frequent requests are for "local" honey for hay-fever allergies. Now I always tell them I cannot guarantee it will work and always ask if they get hay-fever in spring or summer. I explain that if it doesn't work they still have a top quality product to eat and are helping British bees. One or two swear it works....

What the hell is wrong with telling people you are selling them Raw Unprocessed honey ?

or maybe we would be better labelling

" Irish Sickly Sticky Sweet Honey - Causes Cavity's and Tooth decay.

Harvested from Bees who previously had Nosema / Diahorrea .

Have tried to keep the Diahorrea out of this honey but cannot be held responsible for any bee Diahorrea found within.

Enjoy ! ! "

 

[jenkinsbrynmair]

What the hell is wrong with telling people you are selling them Raw Unprocessed honey ?

It's the ridiculous assertion that some have that it is different to what the majority of small scale beekeepers have - do you know anyone who cooks their honey before bottling it?!

Mind you, I'm with the grayling man on this - whatever the twees ask for it's what they get even though it's all make believe nonsense

 

[Thymallus]

even though it's all make believe nonsense

Otherwise known as marketing....
It works.

 

[Cazza]

There are two completely meaningless terms in there that are misused all the time. 'Raw' and 'unprocessed'.

Raw is often a cover all for product that is not perfectly clean, and if its in a jar it is processed. .

I don't like the term"raw" for those reasons but I sell some honey from an alternative therapy centre who use the term to flog my honey.It seems to mean something wholesome and lovely to the clientele there so I have bitten my lip for the sake of semantics.
Cazza

 

[Thymallus]

so I have bitten my lip for the sake of semantics.
Cazza

Never heard semantics being used as term for money before

 

[Finman]

.
Print into your jar: Oxalic acid not added..

 

[REDWOOD]

Word and mouth is the only thing that has expanded my hobby, I do a bit of fancy jars and bits for christmas as this often leads to more customers next year, although I might need to expand a bit more next year to keep up with demands, I have another apiary to look at over the winter.
Do I have the time NO grrrrrr, its annoying when work interferes with my hobby.

 

[Erichalfbee]

- do you know anyone who cooks their honey before bottling it?!

Rowse?

 

[Swarm]

Word and mouth is the only thing that has expanded my hobby, I do a bit of fancy jars and bits for christmas as this often leads to more customers next year, although I might need to expand a bit more next year to keep up with demands, I have another apiary to look at over the winter.
Do I have the time NO grrrrrr, its annoying when work interferes with my hobby.

Know the feeling, REDWOOD, I thought I'd be at the winding down stage by now, instead I see more and more demand being made on my time. Made the decision this year to reduce as things were fast becoming work, bees and not much else.

 

[BrianO]

Know the feeling, REDWOOD, I thought I'd be at the winding down stage by now, instead I see more and more demand being made on my time. Made the decision this year to reduce as things were fast becoming work, bees and not much else.

Know the feeling Bloody Customers getting in the way of my Beekeeping !

 

[Into the lions den]

Rowse?

They have just about the most intense quality control procedures in the land. They practice very strict control on their processes and the avoidance of higher hmf is one of them.

A few seasons ago we sold some barrels of blossom honey to a smaller packer who claims the high ground on quality, and part of the batch went to Rowse. Hmf at time of the barrels leaving was 3...tested by the stockholder. After packing the Rowse stuff was fine (its not legal to sell at over 40) but the smaller packer had it at 57.

Guess what...all the habitual knockers of 'big boys' constantly say Rowse cook their honey.

They DO heat it to quite a high temperature for filtering but cooking of honey (which raises the hmf) is a function of both temperature and time. Their heating is brief.

 

[REDWOOD]

One of the reasons why I started beekeeping is that I couldn't find a jar of nice tasting honey from the supermarkets, don't get me wrong, lots of people like it but it's not for me.
I get lots of people asking me whats your honey like and i tell them here is a jar and if you don't like it you don't have to pay me and not one has not payed me and most end up going away with more.
I don't know why the taste is so different ?