Sri Lanka’s first-ever bee honey shop, Ceylon Bee Honey (Pvt.) Ltd., opened its doors at the Narahenpita Economic Centre on 11 February.
Speaking to The Morning Brunch, one of the consultants of the group, Sathritra Yapa, commented on the Ceylon Bee Honey concept: “We started Ceylon Bee Honey a couple of years back. The honey comes from the Bee Resource Protection Group (BRPG) that was established in 2006.”
Ceylon Bee Honey works with over 100 bee farmers around the country in regions like Udumbara, Vavuniya, Bandarawela, and Badulla, as well as the northern part of the country.
The company was formed with industrialists who represent the Ayurveda, agriculture, and social development sectors, upon seeing the vacuum created by the Sri Lankan bees’ honey industry, and Yapa added that over time, with their efforts, they could fill that void. “We aimed for the highest qualities of bee honey industries in the globe and sailed towards that direction, while strengthening the local bee honey-producing families. When we entered the industry, there were no private companies that produced with a value chain, but now, it’s unveiling with our commitment and effort.”
The collection process
Their main goal is to make the country self-sufficient in terms of honey and then export this honey throughout the globe, marketed as pure “Ceylon Bee Honey”. When various departments and private companies import bees’ honey from various locations, many diseases are prone to enter the island, which can harm the bees that pollinate plants.
Yapa noted that there wouldn’t be any living creatures on Earth if pollination ceased, and Ceylon Bee Honey is, therefore, telling a larger story of a greener and cleaner Sri Lanka.
Yapa added that they do not collect their honey from forests, but from rural parts of the country from boxes. “We believe that honey collected from forests is not as pure as the ones you get from boxes, so our products are assured to be of the highest quality, and taste amazing too.”
Honey collected from forests also takes a long process to purify, and it is unlikely that all the other unhealthy bits are entirely removed during the purification process. Talking about other benefits of the box, he added: “We can protect the bees through this method as well; it does not harm them and they do not feel as though we are interfering, as we only touch a very specific area of the box.” Their bees (Apis cerana indica) can fly over 700 metres and they are very productive in pollination, so they are certain that self-sufficiency can be gained within a short period of time, not exceeding five years.
Speciality honey and its benefits 
The speciality of Ceylon Bee Honey is their range of honey that has been infused with famous Sri lankan spices and bulbs like garlic and ginger.
Honey has amazing health benefits on its own; high-quality honey contains many important antioxidants. These include organic acids and phenolic compounds like flavonoids. The antioxidants found in honey have been linked to reduced risk of heart attacks, strokes, and some types of cancer. They may also promote eye health. With the infusion of herbs and spices, that are also very beneficial health wise, their honey is perfect for anyone with ailments or someone who simply just wants to keep an eye on their health and wellbeing. Yapa added that they even source the spices and bulbs from different parts of Sri Lanka, so everything is organic.
Yapa informed us that scientists have reported nanoparticles containing bee venom can destroy human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) while at the same time leaving surrounding cells unharmed. He further added that honey is a very effective means of quickly rendering heavily infected wounds sterile, without the side effects of antibiotics, and it is even effective against antibiotic resistant strains of bacteria. Ceylon Bee Honey’s range of honey is carefully curated and incorporates various spices and bulbs that target specific illnesses in order to provide health benefits for their customers.
Finally, Yapa encourages the general public to help contribute to pollination and saving the bees by being more environmentally conscious and planting more flowers around your gardens. It’s these simple steps that help keep our bee honey industry thriving and producing this delicious honey that we all love.