Tēnā koe
The Honey Hive has been an absolute flurry of activity since our last newsletter. We have made a lot of changes to the place so a visit is a ‘must’ next time you are in the Taupō area! Our garden is looking as luscious as ever, there is some pretty major landscaping going on and we even got ourselves a greenhouse. Inside there have been a few changes as well including our brand new flooring which is made from sustainably-sourced bamboo. As you know we are focused on having sustainable business practices and are always looking for more environmentally friendly options. This new bamboo flooring is so great because we are helping conserve forests by using a feasible alternative and there are no heavy metals, insecticides, pesticides and the list goes on - there’s essentially no nasties in our new floor.
One of our bigger changes, which has been super exciting for our staff is our new website!!! This is a game changer, much more user friendly for you! Check it out, we have more information about us, about our tours, as well as our online store!
For those of you who did not know, September was Bee Awareness Month! This happens every September and it is a great opportunity to raise awareness of bees and all that they do for us! There are three key things you can do at home to help the bees:
- Grow bee friendly food: start by growing plants in your garden that attract bees. Bees love plants with ample amounts of pollen and nectar such as borage, lavender, rosemary, calendula and forget-me-not. Bees are attracted to these colours: yellow, blue-green, blue and ultraviolet flowers. Remember, well-nourished bees are more capable of fending off disease and parasites.
- Garden organically: Don’t spray your garden. If you struggle with that idea then look for bee friendly sprays and use them at dusk when the bees are back in their hives. Avoid neonicotinoids with these ingredients: acetamiprid, imidacloprid, thiacloprid and thiamethoxam. Also avoid spraying when plants are in flower.
- Hydration: Provide fresh, pesticide-free drinking water for bees. Fill a saucepan or an old bowl with water, put pebbles or twigs in the water for bees to rest on while they drink.
For more fun facts follow us on facebook and Instagram
Our staff favourite this month is Ginger Mead. What's Mead? Mead is one of the oldest alcoholic drinks, made entirely from honey! No grapes in any of these! Legend has it, mead was considered the giver of life, with a common belief that it fell from heaven as dew, then was collected by the honey bee from flowers for you.
Ginger Mead is a great mead as it can be enjoyed chilled over ice, mulled or at room temperature. This Ginger Mead is a sweet spicy blend of fresh green ginger and a blend of rich New Zealand native honeys, including Manuka Honey.
Recipe
Ginger Mead is also great as a "long" drink:
Ingredients:
- Ginger Mead
- Cucumber
- Soda water
- Ice
- Tangelo or Orange
- Put 2 or 3 thin slices of cucumber in the bottom of a Collins glass and add ice
- Pour 1/3 to 1/2 fill with Ginger Mead
- Let stand for 3-5 minutes.
- Top up with soda water and dunk a slice of Tangelo or Orange in the mix for 3 to 5 seconds and remove - very refreshing!
E noho rā, check out our website and facebook on the way out...
