Real honeycomb....any interest?

[British Red]

We will shortly be extracting our first honey harvest (a small amount this year as we have focussed on breeding up our own bees this first year). One of the things we have tried a small amount of this year is "unwired foundation" meaning that the honey can be cut into chunks and sold "on the comb" rather than spun out from the comb and sold as liquid honey. A number of people have asked me if I can do this as they have fond memories of "proper honeycomb" in their youth and would like to re-visit it

It is possible that we may have a small excess of this (which is easy enough to sell "at the gate"), but before offering to passers by, I thought I would enquire, I thought I would enquire as to whether anyone here had similar fond memories and might like to try some.

Clearly this is a premium product (given the poor bees have to re-build all the comb, whereas it is re-used when extracting liquid honey) - you can see what Ocado charge for Manuka honey on the comb here

http://www.ocado.com/webshop/produc...omb&parentContainer=SEARCHhoneycomb_SHELFVIEW#

Theirs is about 7.33p per gram . I think I could price our single site wildflower honey at around £8 for 225g - so less than half that (plus postage and packing of course, but that shouldn't be a huge amount)

If we do get any sort of excess, would people be interested in seeing a sales thread on here?

Regards - Red

 

[dwardo]

Having never tried it I would be up for a sample, sure the boy would give it a go too

 

[Graham_S]

I love honey on the comb,
I get it locally out here, one of the Saudis at work has bees.
If I was in the UK, I'd have some from you.

 

[Macaroon]

I'd be up for some of this.................real food!....................atb mac

 

[British Red]

Excellent - well, that tells me what I needs to know - thanks. As I said to Elen about our products, we will never have a huge amount as we have no intention of "factory farming bees", even the liquid honey is extracted by hand - no electric extractors here. However I do think there is some synergy with our feelings about the natural world on this forum with eating natural, "unprocessed" foods - and comb honey with the cappings left on is as "raw" and natural as it gets. Its not to everyone's taste as you can taste the beeswax, but I do love it - and my neighbour practically offered me his first born for some (so first chunk is his of course). I'll put a thread up here when we have done the work, as I would rather you guys get it than passing strangers!

All the best

Red

 

[Albus Culter]

Hi Hugh. Yep I'd buy some too. Love honey and only tried comb once before. So I'd go for a recap on it

 

[Macaroon]

I'll look forward to this with relish - thanks for the offer, BR.........................atb mac

 

[Albus Culter]

I'll look forward to this with relish - thanks for the offer, BR.........................atb mac

Ooh, what type of relish

 

[ADz-1983]

I would be up for some real honey/comb

 

[British Red]

Have to see how much we get . I suspect it wont be a huge amount as I have only done a few frames of unwired foundation (which is the only kind you can slice). There is a place in London that sells the whole frame of comb ....slightly over £100 a frame !!!!

The risk of using unwired foundation is that the comb collapses under the weight of the honey (the wires add strength when it gets heavy). It seems okay so far, but I did use a "standard thickness" of foundation. Next year I might try some extra thin foundation which is even more risky but improves the honey:wax ratio so long as it doesn't collapse. You can also get frames that support three "cut combs" (effectively pre cut comb honey) which I may look into in the future if it proves popular. This year though, its low tech. Big slab of comb and a knife!

Anyone going to take bets on how sticky I get cutting it up?

 

[British Red]

Ooh, what type of relish

I make a really good caramalised onion relish.....

 

[HillBill]

I'll takes some if theres enough please mate

 

[Lister]

Could be interested, will put it to SWMBO as she's really into this sort of stuff and really loves her "bee-friendly" plants.......

 

[British Red]

Excellent - that's great guys. This thread was really just to "gauge interest". When I have some I'll put a post up "first come first served". If there are more that want it, I'll be sure and work on doing additional comb honey next year

 

[AdamSon]

I would love some, I have been looking around the Internet trying to find some but everywhere is out of stock, I'm guessing there is only a certain time of the year you can get it?

 

[British Red]

Many wont sell comb in a bad year for bees, its too hard work for the bees to re-build the beeswax. It takes up to 18 pounds of honey to make one pound of beeswax - so in a bad year (and last year was with all the rain the bees could not fly), beekeepers extract liquid honey but leave the wax. Not much comb around at the moment due to last years weather. There should be some from this years harvest hopefully though - the weather has been better later in the year at least.