First Bites: Honey

RAW, WHIPPED AND HOPPED

For more than 86 years, the Gibbs family has been in the beekeeping business. Today, Russell Gibbs and Andrea Glenn are the fourth generation to run the family's beekeeping operation with more than 450 hives on their farm in Vankleek Hill and in pastures, on natural woodlots and organic farms throughout the region. Some of the bee yards have been in the family for nearly 100 years and Gibbs and Glenn have added new ones since taking over the business from Gibbs' uncles, Tim and Peter, three years ago. "We try to pick locations that are as natural and untouched as possible," Glenn says. "The ability to taste the environment and the land through the honey is the cornerstone of our philosophy." That straightforward philosophy carries through to Gibbs Honey's product line and graphics. They produce three types of honey — raw wildflower and clover, hopped and whipped — as well as propolis and honeycomb, when available. The branding, including the beeswax candles they carve by hand, is clean and modern (it doesn't hurt that Gibbs worked as a graphic designer before turning to beekeeping.) They infuse the hopped honey with cascade hops from Dalgara Farms in North Glengarry for herbal and citrus notes that complement the wildflowers' delicate flavours. To make the whipped honey, they reserve a portion of finely crystalized honey, called the feed, and whip it with a freshly harvested batch for 48 hours. The result is whipped honey that is lighter and more delicate than the creamed honey served at your grandparent's house. It all fits with the direction of the company. "We want to be progressive while also respecting the history of Gibbs Honey," Glenn says.

Gibbs Honey
gibbshoney.com| 613.220.6990 | @gibbshoney

Find it at: Dominion City Brewing Co., Red Door Provisions, Jacobsons Gourmet Concepts, Pot & Pantry, Burrow Shop and online

WAXED AND INFUSED

Matthew and Alicia Ott opened Bee Savvy Fine Foods in downtown Arnprior in the middle of a pandemic. They had no intention of opening a bricks-and-mortar shop, but when COVID-19 hampered their ability to sell their honey and beeswax skincare line at holiday gift shows and artisan craft markets, they had to find another way. At the start of the lockdown, they were selling gift sets online, then realizing the pandemic wasn't going to end anytime soon, they found a retail location. They stocked it with the products they'd been selling successfully online from favourite producers they'd met at the shows over the years, such as Birch Bark Coffee, salt + MUSTARD (Toronto), Cook's Gourmet (Kingston) and Lift Flavours (Greely). Bee Savvy has an extensive line of products in its own right. The skincare line uses beeswax in lotion bars, beard and lip balms and body scrubs. And the Otts craft a long line of infused honey to complement their unpasteurized wildflower honey. "All of our infusions aren't so much wild inventions as they are tried-and-tested combinations for cooking," Matthew says. "We're foodies and we only use maple syrup and honey for baking and cooking in our own house." Infused with premium ingredients — chai masala, hot peppers, vanilla, cinnamon, turmeric and ginger — each infusion comes with the Otts' kitchen-tested recipes and recommended pairings. Or try the espresso-infused honey on ice cream topped with honey sponge toffee.

Bee Savvy Fine Foods
90 John St., N., Arnprior, Ont.
beesavvy.ca | 613.218.6038 @beesavvyhoney | @beesavvyfinefoods

Find it at: Maker House Co., All Eco, North Folk Café (Perth) and online

BUCKWHEAT AND FRUIT BLOSSOMS

Bees clock a lot of mileage on the job. It takes 556 worker bees visiting two million flowers, travelling a distance equal to more than one trip around the globe, to make a pound of honey. If you're producing a single-varietal of honey, such as Gees Bees Honey Company's raspberry blossom, that's more than an acre or two of raspberries. Beyond the unpasteurized wildflower honey Marianne and Matt Gee produce from their eight-acre urban honey farm in south Ottawa and hives hosted around the city, they partner with other Canadian beekeepers to sell singlevarietals. The raspberry blossom honey hails from Nova Scotia and has a light floral, almost marshmallow flavour and the blueberry blossom from Quebec is fruity with a subtle taste of blueberry. But for Marianne, it's the buckwheat honey that excites her most. "Buckwheat is an ancient grain that a lot of organic farmers plant to enrich the soil," she says. "It has delicate white flowers, but makes honey that is very dark amber, almost black." Its flavours are just as bold, with notes of malt, dark chocolate and molasses. "And the health benefits are similar to Manuka honey from New Zealand, which is known for its high anti-bacterial and antioxidant properties. It's a fall favourite," she says, helping soothe a sore throat, sweeten a cup of tea on a cold day or "in a hot toddy and ginger cookies."

Gees Bees Honey Company
538 River Rd., Ottawa, Ont.
geesbees.ca | 613.406.2339 | @geesbeeshoney

Find it: online for curbside pickup, shipping or delivery