Savanna beekeepers deliver something sweet
Bees shine at first Savanna honey show
Gerine Hoff
Windhoek
The Savanna Beekeeping Association may be brand-new, but it’s already creating a buzz.
Just weeks after its launch, the group hosted its first honey show last weekend: a vibrant two-day celebration of bees and their gifts, featuring beeswax displays, photographs, confectionery, poetry and, at the heart of it all, honey.
The entries were adjudicated by Dr Lynne Hepplestone, an internationally renowned honey judge, whose visit added weight to the occasion.
Association member Johan Lepen recalled how it all began. “In 2022, I started with my first beehive on the farm. I quickly realised that we have so much to learn from the bees themselves – how they live, how they work together. My dad and I took several courses at Agra Provision, and it was mind-blowing. Since then, we’ve been blessed with hive after hive.”
Their very first harvest of this “liquid gold” travelled all the way to the National Honey Show in London, where it won silver in its category.
The art of judging honeyDr Hepplestone walked visitors through her process, beginning with colour. “One of the first things we do is shine a light through the honey. The colour is entirely down to the bees’ foraging – no beekeeper can take credit. What I see here is exquisite: sunshine yellows, lime hues, delicate ambers, soft oranges, even deep reds and dark honeys.”
Next comes aroma. “Before I taste, I always inhale. I want that fresh, foraging scent, those essential oils carried in from the nectar.”
Then it’s the taste itself, followed by viscosity – the way the honey flows. “Namibian honeys are remarkable for their thickness,” she explained. “Your desert climate reduces moisture content, giving a beautiful, rich viscosity. It’s a huge strength and very appealing compared to, say, our South African honeys, which are much runnier.”
All these elements combined make up the final score, and Dr Hepplestone was effusive: “These are stunning honeys – absolutely beautiful. Full credit to the bees, and huge respect to the beekeepers who brought them forward.”
What’s next?For the Savanna Beekeeping Association, this show was just the start. “This honey show is the foundation of what’s to come,” said Lepen. “Next year we want more categories, not just honey, but also photography, arts and crafts, research, even poems and floral displays,” the association said.
“It’s about showing how much bees contribute to our lives and how we can live in harmony with them.”
But first, the honey is being prepared for the UK National Honey Show taking place at Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey at the end of October, where there are nearly 250 competitive classes that will be judged by an international panel.
For more updates, follow the Savanna Beekeeping Association on Facebook.
Follow this code for more: https://q.my.na/XNBT
Windhoek
The Savanna Beekeeping Association may be brand-new, but it’s already creating a buzz.
Just weeks after its launch, the group hosted its first honey show last weekend: a vibrant two-day celebration of bees and their gifts, featuring beeswax displays, photographs, confectionery, poetry and, at the heart of it all, honey.
The entries were adjudicated by Dr Lynne Hepplestone, an internationally renowned honey judge, whose visit added weight to the occasion.
Association member Johan Lepen recalled how it all began. “In 2022, I started with my first beehive on the farm. I quickly realised that we have so much to learn from the bees themselves – how they live, how they work together. My dad and I took several courses at Agra Provision, and it was mind-blowing. Since then, we’ve been blessed with hive after hive.”
Their very first harvest of this “liquid gold” travelled all the way to the National Honey Show in London, where it won silver in its category.
The art of judging honeyDr Hepplestone walked visitors through her process, beginning with colour. “One of the first things we do is shine a light through the honey. The colour is entirely down to the bees’ foraging – no beekeeper can take credit. What I see here is exquisite: sunshine yellows, lime hues, delicate ambers, soft oranges, even deep reds and dark honeys.”
Next comes aroma. “Before I taste, I always inhale. I want that fresh, foraging scent, those essential oils carried in from the nectar.”
Then it’s the taste itself, followed by viscosity – the way the honey flows. “Namibian honeys are remarkable for their thickness,” she explained. “Your desert climate reduces moisture content, giving a beautiful, rich viscosity. It’s a huge strength and very appealing compared to, say, our South African honeys, which are much runnier.”
All these elements combined make up the final score, and Dr Hepplestone was effusive: “These are stunning honeys – absolutely beautiful. Full credit to the bees, and huge respect to the beekeepers who brought them forward.”
What’s next?For the Savanna Beekeeping Association, this show was just the start. “This honey show is the foundation of what’s to come,” said Lepen. “Next year we want more categories, not just honey, but also photography, arts and crafts, research, even poems and floral displays,” the association said.
“It’s about showing how much bees contribute to our lives and how we can live in harmony with them.”
But first, the honey is being prepared for the UK National Honey Show taking place at Sandown Park Racecourse in Surrey at the end of October, where there are nearly 250 competitive classes that will be judged by an international panel.
For more updates, follow the Savanna Beekeeping Association on Facebook.
Follow this code for more: https://q.my.na/XNBT
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