Cypriot Honey Takes First Prize at World Beekeeping Awards

Cypriot honey Tziverti has received the first prize at the 46th World Beekeeping Awards (WBA) in Canada. The thyme honey Tziverti represented Cyprus and was awarded a gold medal this year’s Palais des Congrès in Montreal.

Held every two years, the World Beekeeping Awards are one of the most important events for beekeepers worldwide. This year’s event was held at the Apimondia International Apicultural Congress.

As for the aware, the aim is to highlight international excellence for honey and other bee products, with a focus on good beekeeping practices and respect for quality.

Open to all amateur and professional beekeepers, the competition is judged by a panel blind-tastes the honey samples from an unlabelled jar. This year 6,000 beekeepers from 80 different countries participated in WBA.

Demetris Papakosta, who founded Tziverti honey in 1950, carried on the on the tradition of using man-made hives of mud and clay, which was first applied in ancient Egypt. Having inherited 20 “tzivertia” from his father, Papakosta eventually exchanged the older hives with modern ones.

Using the modern hives, the beekeeper was able to transfer the bees every spring for the flowering of orange plants. In 1981 his son Zacharias with his wife Eleni founded Honeymell company under which the Tziverti Cypriot honey is being sold.

The company has beehives in Peristerona, Prodromos and Pissouri where eucalyptus, thyme, pomegranate, and wild olive trees are thriving, as well as different citrus trees. Tziverti produces wildflower and thyme honey as well as pollen and their products are sold in plastic and glass bottles.

In 2013, the same honey was awarded the most prestigious award of WBA called Carl and Virginia Webb Honey Bowl, receiving the official title “Best Honey in the World” among 112 other participations from 25 different countries.