The industry’s top honey producers for 2019 were named at Apiculture NZ’s conference in Rotorua which finished last weekend with a gala dinner and awards event.
Apiculture CEO Karin Kos said this event was fantastic celebration of a hard-working industry that is dedicated to excellence. “We have world class honeys here in New Zealand and it is wonderful to see these getting the recognition they deserve from internationally-renowned judges.”
The most eagerly awaited award of the night was the supreme winner in the ApiNZ National Honey Competition. This was claimed by industry veteran and creamed honey expert, Allen McCaw from Milburn Apiaries. He also won the trophy for the Class C Creamed Honey category.
The other category winners were Taylor Pass Honey who received the trophy for the Class A Liquid or Clear Honey, and Jody Mitchell of Kaimai Range Honey who won the Class B Naturally Granulated Honey trophy.
Judges Maureen Conquer, Alessandro Tarentini and Claudine McCormick were impressed by the quality and quantity of the entries. Ms Conquer said: “It’s an absolute pleasure to judge. New Zealand produces some of the finest honeys in the world and we have unique regional varieties that need to be celebrated.”
Full list of winners below:
100% Pure NZ Honey Ltd
Gold medals: Monofloral Mānuka Honey, Honeydew Honey
Silver medals: Naturally Granulated Honey Light, Naturally Granulated Honey Medium, Creamed Honey Light, Creamed Honey Medium
Bronze medals: Liquid Clear Honey Dark, Creamed Honey Dark
Auckland Beekeepers Club
Gold medal: Bee Club Association or Hub Open Class Entry
Bush Haven Farm
Bronze medals: Liquid Clear Honey Medium, Naturally Granulated Honey Light, Naturally Granulated Honey Dark
Glasson Apiaries
Bronze medal: Creamed Honey Light
Great Barrier Natural Honey
Bronze medal: Naturally Granulated Honey Medium
Hart’s Honey
Gold Medal: Naturally Granulated Honey Medium category
Hauora Honey
Gold medal: Honey based food competition non-commercial
Jill Pauling
Silver medal: Liquid Clear Honey Light
Kaimai Range Honey
Trophy: Class B Naturally Granulated Honey
Gold medals: Naturally Granulated Dark, Creamed Honey Dark
Silver medals: Liquid Clear Honey Medium, Special Reserve Honey
Emma Krs
Gold medal: Product of the hive
Kim Poynter
Gold medal: Honey gift arrangement, boxes
Lyndy Wickham
Silver medal: Liquid Clear Honey Dark
Marsh’s Honey
Gold medal: Honeycomb: Cut Comb
Milburn Apiaries
Supreme Award
Trophy: Class C Creamed Honey
Gold medals: Creamed Honey Light, Creamed Honey Medium
Silver medals: Creamed Honey Dark
Bronze medals: Liquid Clear Honey Light
Pouatu Mānuka
Bronze medal: Creamed Honey Medium
Rotorua Honey Bee Club
Gold medal: Decorated bee box
Springbank Honey
Bronze medal: Monofloral Mānuka Honey
Southern Alps Honey
Gold medals: Liquid Clear Honey Medium, Naturally Granulated Honey Light, Honey Beverages and honey-based food commercial
Silver medals: Honeydew honey, Honey comb: cut comb, Naturally Granulated Honey Dark
Sweetree Honey
Bronze medal: Special Reserve Honey
Taylor Pass Honey
Trophy for Class A Liquid or Clear Honey
Gold medals: Liquid Clear Honey Light, Liquid Clear Honey Dark, Honeycomb: Frame, Wood Section (tie)
Bronze medal: Honeydew Honey
Te Akatea Apiaries
Gold medals: Special Reserve Honey, Honeycomb: Frame, Wood Section (tie)
Bronze medals: Honeycomb: cut comb
The True Honey Company
Gold medal: Product Packaging Open Category
Silver medal: Monofloral Mānuka Honey