Our Story
We are the fifth generation of beekeepers who passionately continue our family tradition. Our story began in 1950 in Agia Triada, Yialousa, when Dimitris Papakostas inherited 20 bee colonies from his father and became involved in beekeeping. The year 1960 marked the start of the placement of bees in modern day hives, which are more user-friendly and productive than old fashioned beehives. Every spring, the hives were transferred to Varosi and Morphou, in order to reap the benefits of the orange blossom of the area. Following the Turkish invasion, the 300 beehives that were kept at the time, remained trapped in Karpasia, and in 1977, Dimitris managed to transport a few of these to unoccupied territories in Cyprus where he continued his work as a beekeeper. In 1981, his son, Zaharias Papakostas, became professionally involved in beekeeping, while 2006 saw him establish Honeymell z.p Ltd along with his wife, Eleni. Today, the company exclusively deals with the production and bottling of Cypriot honey.
Beekeeping
Peristerona, Astromeritis, Chandria and Pissouri are but a few of the rural areas of Cyprus where we place our hives. These areas witness the blossom of unique nectar-rich plants like eucalyptus, citrus trees, thyme, sumac, wild rosemary and lavender. These aromatic plants provide bees with their nectar, which they in turn transform into honey. Cypriot honey has a rich taste and is thicker than most, due to the warm climate of our country.
Honey Extraction
Harvesting takes place twice a year in the months of April/May and August. Spring honey is largely citrus nectar honey, while summer honey is largely derived from thyme, eucalyptus and other aromatic plants. Following the harvest, the hives are transported to our factory in Peristerona for extraction. The procedure is a simple one. Firstly, we remove the thin layer of wax that the bees have created as the honey matures, while we then proceed to remove the honey from the hives via centrifugation.
Bottling
We place our honey in the appropriate containers and we store the honey at a consistently low temperature until its bottling date. The use of the latest contemporary equipment allows us to bottle our honey without sacrificing its aroma or taste in the slightest. Initially, we remove foreign bodies like beeswax from the honey, and once it has been left for three days, we proceed with bottling in containers.
Quality
A dedication to quality is one of the driving principals of our company. It is this dedication that has allowed our company to excel in all areas, keeping a firm check on every aspect of production, from the bees themselves, until the final product is bottled. We firmly implement all correct beekeeping practices, thereby wholly ensuring the true quality of Cypriot honey. Our international awards for quality and taste that honour our honey stand testament to this.
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