Photo Karen Graham.
David and Helen Nicholaou with their display of natural honey products at the last Millbrook Farmer’s Market.
Helen and David Nicolaou have been in the honey business for many years. They began with a single hive which arrived at their Scugog Island home as an uninvited swarm, which they quickly welcomed to their home. They now manage 100 hives and space was so limited they have established some of them on a farm on Zion Line recently purchased by their son.
Golden Meadows honey is pure, natural and unaltered with no additives. It is also unpasteurized to help maintain the positive health benefits associated with this natural sweetener. The flavour of natural honey depends on its pollen source, and Golden Meadows offers product with six natural floral flavours ranging from light & sweet basswood honey, to dark, rich, and somewhat malty buckwheat honey. The flavours are also seasonally dependent, with fall harvests stemming from Goldenrod pollen providing a rich sweet flavour with a slight spice taste in the background. They also whip some of their Summer Blossom honey to set the fine, uniform crystals that produce creamed honey with a silky, smooth texture and a spreadable consistency.
Helen also prepares five infused flavours of liquid honey where their pure honey is flavoured with a variety of natural, organic items, including a chocolate based honey infused with pure organic cacao, a sweet heat version using fresh Thai Chili peppers, a maple version and one with fresh lemons and ginger. Their product list includes pure beeswax candles, wax blocks, combed honey, lip balm and hand cream.
The couple appreciate the role of each bee in the hive and as a pollinator, noting that a single honey bee only produces 1/8th of a teaspoon of honey their entire life, and they always work for the good of the hive. Not a bad role model!
Stop by the Golden Meadow booth at the next Millbrook Farmers’ Market for some unique takes on one of nature’s sweetest gifts. KG
