Early Spring Farmland

Creamed Raw Honey

Canola doesn't have the most romantic reputation.

The bees couldn't care less.

When early spring arrives and great stretches of farmland burst into yellow flower, a strong canola nectar flow can transform a hive almost overnight.

But there's one condition we won't compromise on.

No pesticides.

When we can place our bees alongside flowering farmland where pesticides aren't being used, canola becomes something quite remarkable, an enormous, clean nectar source arriving just when colonies are waking from winter and preparing for the season ahead.

And the bees absolutely go for it.

Hives that seemed quiet only weeks before suddenly explode into activity. Frames fill extraordinarily quickly, colonies build strength and boxes can become heavy with fresh spring honey almost before you're ready for them.

Almost.

Because canola honey has another little trick.

It wants to crystallise. Fast.

Leave it in the comb too long and you've missed your chance. So when the flow is on, harvesting becomes something of a race, pulling the honey at exactly the right moment and extracting it before those beautiful natural sugars begin to set inside the frame.

It's a lot of work.

But when everything goes right, the reward is rather spectacular.

We take that naturally fast-crystallising honey and use it to our advantage, carefully creaming it into an exceptionally fine, smooth and velvety raw honey.

Canola provides the beautiful texture, while the other early spring flowers surrounding the farmland find their way into the hive too, adding layers of floral flavour and giving the finished honey far more depth than you might expect.

The result has earned a rather unusual description from more than a few customers:

“It tastes like warm ice cream.”

Soft. Creamy. Floral. Ridiculously easy to eat by the spoonful.

In fact, what began as an early-season honey made to help our bees build strength has quietly become our number-one seller.

Turns out the flower people overlook is responsible for the honey they keep coming back for.

Spread it thickly over warm toast, spoon it over fruit, swirl it through porridge, or do what most people eventually do and forget all that sensible advice.

Just grab a spoon.

Early Spring Farmland. Never judge a honey by its flower.