Comb Honey Sales

[220]

Who sells comb honey and what sort of percentage of your overall sales does it account for.
What packaging do you use.

Im looking  for a way to value add to my sales and thinking I might try some comb honey with a bit of a twist to differentiate from everyone else selling comb.
Thinking about modifying a ideal box and frames to hold half length frames and then selling the comb in the mini frames. With the frame it should allow vacuum sealing without crushing the comb.
No idea if it will work, I think the bees will probably build a heap of bridging comb between the ends of the frames if I use a simple frame rest across the centre of the box. Not sure how they would take to it with a full depth divider. Not sure if there is even a market but I think the novelty factor of a complete frame would appeal to a few customers.

[little john]

Have you ever considered sections - this was a popular way of selling honey back in the days before extractors.  Although I'm not a honey-farmer myself, I understand it's possible to buy flat-pack section boxes, the ultra-thin foundation for these, and professional quality packaging to suit those section boxes - thus providing a complete professional packaging 'system', ready to go.  Dunno about prices though - but might be worth looking into ?
LJ

 

[Dallasbeek]

I like the idea of jars of honey with some comb honey in the jar.  This shows that your honey is natural.  Some people will pay extra for comb honey, while others reject it outright.  The section boxes LJ mentions are the usual way it's sold here, but some beekeepers do the comb in the jar and then fill with extracted honey, still charging a slight premium.

[220]

I have looked at comb boxes and the cost here is about the same as a frame would cost.
Last year was my first and I had no trouble selling the little bit of honey I had locally in jars.
I will do the same this year, being a rural area most are looking for local honey at a competative price. Packaging and appearence are not high on their priority list when buying. I am using plastic jars and tubs for the local sales as they are the cheapest option.
I also have some more attractive glass jars I was going to try locally, dressed up with a piece of ribbon and maybe some as chunk. A little bit of tourist trade and might make a nice gift if someone is looking for a local product.


With the mini frame idea I would be looking at using my brother to sell at inner city farmers markets. He does 3 markets a week and currently has 3 or 4 employees helping. He actually dropped in just after I posted and said go for it. He doesnt think he would have any trouble selling them at $25-30 a frame. You can do the math but our ideal frame is half depth, going half lenght with them 4 would occupy the same area as a single deep. I will have to defer to him on pricing as he knows what people are prepared to pay.
I thought he was mad when he said he would supply the packaging and pay me $35/kg for as many wild blackberries as I could supply, he sold out every market selling at $70/kg.

[BeeMaster2]

Really nice having a guaranteed sale at max price. Some bees refuse to build on the thin foundation. I talked to one Beek here that has been using thin foundation for a long time and some years he can not get to build on it. Usually you need a good flow. You may want to use some foundation less frames in some hives as a backup.
Jim

[little john]

220 - bearing in mind what you've written about your brother - I'd say that selling direct to the inner-city has to be the perfect solution ...  and so I'd suggest you supply him with samples of whatever you produce: honey-comb, jars of extracted honey, beeswax, tincture of propolis - whatever you can dream up - and see which of these sell the easiest and for the best price.  An experienced and already established market trader as an outlet ? - that has to be the best possible scenario. Very envious. Good luck. 
LJ

[220]

Finding a outlet is the least of my worries, we have a retail shop that is open 363 days a year and I have the farmers market option.
Brother has said to me previously he thinks he could sell 50-100kg honey per week if I could supply it.
I certainly dont have the numbers or the experience to be running the number of hives to produce that amount at present and dont know if I even want to go down the path of a serious sideliner.

I think your right sawdstmakr the mini frames would need to go on in a good flow to get them drawn and filled quickly to produce a nice clean product. I was actually thinking of trying wax starter strip. I have a nice strong hive that drew and filled a deep of foundation in 12 days so at least know the mini frames should be possible in theory.

Little john one of the good things about the farmers markets is customers are realising produce is seasonal. Some of the chefs and restaurants that buy off him now reflect the seasonal nature in their menu's. Might help me out with only supplying a small volume periodically. I did try selling a bit of wax last year in my shop, only had a few kg so did it up as little ingots in 100g lots. Priced it at $5/100g, sold it all very quickly and have had customers asking for the past 6 months when I will have more.

[220]

Was in Sydney over the weekend and managed to catch one of the bee supply places and pick up some ideal frames. Modified one with the leatherman to the half lenght I am thinking of using.
I caught up with my brother Sunday morning at the markets, it is the first time I have been and the number of customers really surprised me. Brothers setup is in a U shape with a couple of registers, scales etc in the middle of the U. He had 2 people manning the registers another 2 constantly refilling the tables and cutting pumpkins, melons etc and another floating talking to customers and handing out samples.
In the few hours I was there, there was no down time at all with a constant stream of customers and usually line at the registers to pay.
Had a good look around and there were 2 stalls selling honey, both also had other non bee stuff for sale. One had quite a selection of honeys but prices started at $20/kg and went up from there. Didn't look at prices on the other but just walking past it struck that they probably had to many options when it came to packaging. A dozen or more different shaped and sized jars and then buckets as well.

Showed my brother and a chef that helps him out a bit the mini frame and they thought retail at that market would be $25-50. Going to try a box of the mini frames and see how we go. Even at the bottom end it would be a 400% increase over the same amount of extracted honey.

[220]

Knocked up a quick jig for the basic cuts need to transform the ideal frame into a mini frame last night. Quite in the shop today so managed to cut everything and nail them together when I got home. Probably about 2hrs with handsaw file and chisel. to modify and assemble 16 frames. Have modified a 8 frame ideal box to hold 16 of these mini frames, they do look cute.
Probably wont get to my yard until later this week, I am just hoping the flow we are in continues so the draw and fill them.

[BeeMaster2]

If they fill them up, sounds like you need to make a lot more of them. Do you have SHBs? If so you will need to freeze them prior to sending them to your brother.
Jim

[eltalia]

@220

Just caught up with your concept, the comb is always a hit especially with
the kids, but I would think more on the inclusion of hardware as that might
well bring the food Poeliss downonya.

Bill

[220]

I really cant see how there could be an issue with selling in wooden ware. 
The bees use it to store honey in, it is often stored in frames in and out of the hive for extended periods until it is harvested.
If they have issue with it then the entire bee industry is in trouble, selling in the frame you are simply allowing the customer to do the final harvesting themselves.

[eltalia]

I really cant see how there could be an issue with selling in wooden ware. 

I can (see) but maybe it's worth asking first..?.. your brother would have
the required permit for food stalls so get him to ask the question. Carnt hurt.

The bees use it to store honey in, it is often stored in frames in and out of the hive for extended periods until it is harvested.
If they have issue with it then the entire bee industry is in trouble, selling in the frame you are simply allowing the customer to do the final harvesting themselves.

That will swing here, and maybe on any of these Internet forums... yet argue
it with a Foodie and see how you go, hey :-)

Bill

[Anybrew2]

Hi there 220, I have just completed a batch of comb honey. I used a system by John Edmonds in Victoria. He makes and sells a kit with special ideal frames in which clear cassettes/containers fit into.
They work fantastically. I dont know Mr Edmonds but I like the product. Once the comb is drawn and filled you clip the custom lid on. The honey comb is totally untouched by human hands.

Cheers
Steve
Dubbo

[220]

The only thing in the food packaging regs I can see as applicable is the requirement to use new packaging.
Not a issue as I am using new frames, the intention is to vacuum pack the entire frame. With the frame as support it should allow vacuum packing without crushing the comb.
I do expect given the customers that some will return frames. The only use I can think of for them at this stage is mini mating nucs but will be covering frame cost in the retail price so any that come back are a bonus.

Thanks Steve I'll have a look and see what I can find on Edmonds system

[eltalia]

The only thing in the food packaging regs I can see ..... (edit)

In accepting your posting (s) are a form of research I (we?) know what you can see, an' it is a
 fine concept.... except. Whatever you present food in has today to meet standards. I would be
very surprised to discover raw untreated jointed timber from the body of a living organism
survives scrutiny as "acceptable use" in packaging. Systems as the cassette method
are not new and so would have been approved - I would hope - as has some containerised
packaging from "commercial kitchen" environments.
Yours is a totally new concept (to me) and so it would not hurt to ask first.

If approved, fine... yet without that how could anyone recommend the product? For mine the
 presentation would fall into the same category of products as Flow Hive [tm] offerings
"caveat emptor" prevails.

Bill

[220]

Its certainly not a new concept, honey has been sold by the frame for as long as hives with frames have been about.
A couple of online retails offering full frames
http://www.malfroysgold.com.au/comb.html
https://www.naturesgoldhoney.com.au/product/whole-honeycomb-frame/

It may be that the restrictions on it are less than extracted honey. It may well fall into the same category as fruit so wouldn't even be the need for the premises to be certified as it isn't being processed in anyway.

[eltalia]

Its certainly not a new concept, honey has been sold by the frame for as long as hives with frames have been about.
A couple of online retails offering full frames
http://www.malfroysgold.com.au/comb.html
https://www.naturesgoldhoney.com.au/product/whole-honeycomb-frame/

(edit)

errrm...now you got me wonderin' if actually you are selling the race tickets after buying a horse innit..!
Like I said.. new to me, but aint that Googul wonderful - hooray...!..40 plus years in Apiaries and the
Internet slaps me from wall to wall, not.

Good lucks with it all, as said... it never hurts to ask first.

Bill

[220]

Your point about the flow hive is a interesting one, if you were to harvest straight from the hive into jars you have no honey processing room to get approved. Similar to selling frames, I have sent a email off to our state food authority asking for clarification on what the requirements are for both of these situations.
It will be interesting to see the response.

[eltalia]

Your point about the flow hive is a interesting one, if you were to harvest straight from the hive into jars you have no honey processing room to get approved. Similar to selling frames, I have sent a email off to our state food authority asking for clarification on what the requirements are for both of these situations.
It will be interesting to see the response.

My point on Flow Hivets was there is no way to know know what you are buying unless you know know
 the beekeeper. My message is to stay well away from the product where you read it is "Flow Honey".
Kudos for that effort tho' ... good place to start and please do post the outcome, in short speak, not the
spin one usually gets from g'mnt ...heh ;-))

Bill