One of my earliest childhood memories is of being in a wheelbarrow as my dad wheeled me through a field to see the bees. My parents began keeping bees in my early childhood. They sold much of their honey at the local country market in Nenagh on Saturday mornings. I spent many hot summer days holding the smoker for my dad as he inspected the bees and harvested the honey.
All our bee-suits were home-made by my mum and were 99% bee-proof. Unfortunately, the bees always seemed to find the 1% gaps in the suits which resulted in a few bee stings during most outings. Thankfully the modern bee-suits keep out all but the most determined bees.
I am now following in my parents’ footsteps. All my colonies are the native black Irish honeybee Apis Mellifera Mellifera. I am a member of NIHBS, the Native Irish Honey-Bee Society and believe the conservation of our native honeybee species is important, as it is ideally suited to foraging for nectar in our mild and humid climate. My beehives are located at the bottom of my garden, a few miles outside Ballina in rural county Tipperary.
The unique smooth flavour of Sli an Aifrinn Honey comes from the combination of nectars found in the many wild blossoms in bloom during the summer months including white clover, blackberry, hawthorn, horse chestnut, sycamore, and dandelion.
Once the honey is harvested in August it is extracted from the frames, cold-filtered and jarred. Honeybees maintain the temperature of the honey in beehives at about 37 degrees C. Heating honey above this point can destroy its natural enzymes, vitamins and minerals. Sli an Aifrinn honey is cold-filtered to prevent any damage to these delicate properties.
Sli an Aifrinn honey is 100% raw and unpasteurised. It is coarse-filtered and cold-filtered. It is natural and tastes delicious straight from the jar or spread on fresh soda bread or warm toast.