Since Chef and I (BEEGrrl) partnered with the Toronto Beekeepers Co-op and Food Share in 2008, the rooftop apiary at Toronto’s Fairmont Royal York has always been the bridesmaid and never the bride. My last post referenced our honey “ranking,” at Canada’s annual Royal Agricultural Winter Fair,to be in a slow decline. It had moved gradually from second to fourth place over time. Hotels are a competitive business and as the hotel’s Head Beekeeper the slipping status concerned me.
Amber Honey from The Fairmont Royal York’s Apiary Places First
To this end, I researched the best practices of other beekeepers that had made the climb to First. We also consulted the expertise of Mylee Nordin, a mentor and the Co-op’s designated expert beekeeper. In the end, a few secret tips were applied, the extraction process was altered, our containers were flawless and stored with precision. But in the end, it was truly the work of the bees and the collective efforts of my fellow urban beekeepers at the Toronto Beekeepers Co-op, that garnered FIRST PLACE (amber category) for The Fairmont Royal York hotel.
Tally for the Amber Honey Category
Our city bee’s first place ranking totaled 92 points, in second place came the country honey of Goderich, Ontario’s William Johnston at 90 points and the 86 point third place honey belonged to Steven Coyle of Kitchener, Ontario.
High praise goes out to all who entered the competition and the more than 1,500 Ontario honey producers who deliver 100% pure honey to our tables all season long.