From Pest to Prize Winner: Elmfield Hall Bees Cinch First Prize at Annual Honey Show
Following on from the successful extraction of a honeybee colony from the exterior brickwork of Elmfield Hall, Church back in August, Hyndburn Council are pleased to share that the wax combs and honey that were removed from the airbrick won first prize at the East Lancashire Beekeepers Society’s Honey Show.
The products from Elmfield Hall were entered into the ‘Blind Taste’ category at the Honey Show and presented in a blacked-out jar for assessment by taste alone. Despite the tough competition, the Elmfield Hall samples came out on top and won first prize, much to the delight of everyone involved in the original extraction process.
Maggie Moody, CEO at Community Solutions North West, said:
“It is just wonderful to see such a positive ending to this story. We were really pleased with how smoothly the extraction of the live colony went originally and we can confirm that the bees have settled into their new apiary, building numbers and generally thriving in their new home. To have the honey – a leftover product from Elmfield Hall that would have otherwise been disposed of – win first prize is just the icing on the cake!”
The honeybees were previously removed from Elmfield Hall and transported to a nearby apiary as part of a collaborative effort between Hyndburn Borough Council, Community Solutions North-West, and Pendle Environmental Services to prevent any long-term issues to the building.
The team from Pendle Environmental Services, who collaborated with Hyndburn Borough Council officers to remove the live colony from the walls, converted the wax combs and honey into jars which made them eligible for entering the Lancashire Beekeepers Society’s Annual Honey Show.
The East Lancashire Beekeepers Association are a group of beekeepers in East Lancashire that strive to assist and educate beekeepers, to encourage beekeeping as a hobby, and to promote natural beekeeping methods. To find out more about the group and how to get involved, head to the East Lancashire Beekeepers Association’s website at: http://www.eastlancsbees.org.uk/