Frequently Asked Questions
Origin of Beechworth Honey
Is your honey Australian honey?
100% of our honey is Australian. We have never imported honey.
In our history we have twice run out of honey and even voluntarily deleted our products off supermarket shelves as a consequence of only using Australian honey.
Is honey natural?
Beechworth Honey is 100% pure natural Australian honey with nothing added to it and is sourced from the best honey producing flora across Australia – a pristine environment – much of it from remote eucalypt forests.
Our honey is pure and natural produced by bees gathering nectar from plants, storing in the beehive and allowed to fully ripen and mature by the bees in the hive. It complies fully to the definition of Honey as per the Australian Food Standards Code and does not have anything added or removed to change its natural composition.
Where do you source your honey from?
All our honey is 100% Australian.
We still keep hives and some of our honey comes from our own hives but we also source honey from across Australia from the very best of Australia’s honey producing families who we know, visit and trust. The majority of our honey comes from the east coast of Australia.
Has Beechworth Honey ever imported honey?
Our stance has always been clear, strong and unwavering – no imported honey for Beechworth Honey. 100% Australian honey … Always!
How can I tell if my honey is imported or Australian?
The back label of all Beechworth Honey product contains a clear Country of Origin label. This shows that our products are 100% Australian honey.
By law all honey sold in Australia must carry this symbol. You can check if the product you are looking at is 100% Australian produced or contains some imported honey. Our suggestion is to only use 100% Australian from a supplier you can trust. These products will either say Product of Australia or Made in Australia from 100% Australian Ingredients – both mean no imported honey is contained inside.
Honey Facts
Is your honey raw?
Yes our honey is raw except in WA.
Honey needs to be gently warmed to enable the honey to flow when being extracted from the frames and to strain out hive matter eg bees legs, beeswax etc. We do not pasteurise our honey except where it is a legal requirement to do so i.e. to send it into WA. Research shows when honey is heated for long periods of time (12 hrs) over 45 degrees the honey begins to deteriorate thus reducing the naturally occurring enzymes and the honey starts to darken in colour. Our warming system is thermostatically controlled so as to not allow the honey to get too warm.
Is your honey ultrafiltered?
We never ultrafilter our honey.
This process filters out microscopic particles, pollen grains and air bubbles. The predominant North American honey varieties of clover, lucerne and canola (rapeseed) crystallise very quickly and ultrafiltration slows this process but also removes beneficial natural pollens that are part of pure honey.
Beechworth Honey is not ultrafiltered however we have avoided calling our honey unfiltered because technically there is a gentle filtration process where we strain the honey to remove beeswax and hive debris. This process ensures the natural pollens and enzymes stay in the honey.
Is your honey organic?
Beechworth Honey is 100% pure natural Australian honey with nothing added. It is sourced from the best honey producing flora across Australia – a pristine environment – much of it from remote eucalypt forests.
We do not certify our honey through an organic certification process. We believe sourcing it from Australia’s clean / green environment and working with excellent ethical beekeepers keeps our product pure and natural.
Australia does not have many of the bee diseases in most other parts of the world, for this reason we do not need to use chemicals in our hives like other countries do to control these diseases. The Australian Government National Residue Survey conducted annually for more than 35 years demonstrates the purity of Australian produced honey and its absence of pesticides, antibiotics and other environmental chemicals.
Do you add sugar to your honey?
No. Never. 100% emphatically no.
We have never and would never add sugar or any related substance like sugar syrup to our honey. Our honey is 100% pure Australian honey, just like the bees make it.
How is honey extracted from the hive honeycomb?
As soon as the honeycomb in the hive is filled with honey and capped with beeswax it is ready to be harvested.
Beekeepers regularly inspect their hives to see when the honeycomb can be removed. Honeycomb is removed from the hive and taken to be extracted. The wax cappings are removed with a sharp blade before the honeycomb is placed in to an extractor. Centrifugal force in the extractor throws the honey out of the frames. Nothing is done to it to turn it into honey. The frames, now empty of honey are placed back in the hives to be filled again by the bees. An incredibly efficient environmentally friendly process where nothing is wasted and nature happily accepts reuse!
Honey
Can your honey vary in colour and taste?
Our honey does vary. We package different varieties according to what has been produced by the bees. We do not blend for a consistent colour or flavour.
Differing weather conditions and types of flowers produce different consistencies of honey. Some honey can be very thick and other types produced in less than favourable conditions can be thinner.
Occasionally we get a customer who does not enjoy the honey that is being produced at the time, however usually after the appreciation that nothing is done to our honey to change it from being as it is produced by nature, people begin to appreciate the natural difference in flavours and viscosity.
Why does honey candy?
Freshly produced honey is always liquid but with time some varieties of honeys are more likely to candy than others. It all depends on the type of honey, the ratio of naturally occurring sugars and temperature conditions. There are a variety of naturally occurring sugars in honey including: glucose, fructose, sucrose, and maltose. But the main ones are glucose and fructose that give honey its “sweetness”. Glucose is the sugar that influences crystallisation. The more glucose in the honey, the sooner your honey will candy.
Some pure varieties such as stringy bark and yellow box take years to candy and if kept completely pure, without a hint of any other type of honey are said to never crystallise at all. Candy honey is a completely natural process that does not alter the taste or nutrition of the honey in any way. It’s fairly simple to turn your honey back into a liquid again by gently warming it. The best way to do this is to place your honey in a bowl of warm water and let it slowly warm up. Microwaving overheats the honey and doesn’t heat evenly, therefore we do not recommend that method.
How is creamed honey made?
Creamed honey or creamy honey is simply liquid honey that has been stirred slowly until it takes on the creamy texture. This is usually done in a cool environment and nothing is added to honey to make it creamy.
Once creamed, it is recommended that the honey is stored at room temperature. Honey is a natural product & spreadability may vary. If honey is too hard to spread, warm gently in hot water. If too soft, refrigerate.
Is honey gluten free?
Yes, honey produced in the hive is naturally gluten free. All of our honey products, ice cream, lollies & drinks are gluten free, with the exception of our Rocky Road, Chocolate Coated Honeycomb products.
We always suggest that you check the label to determine if the product is suitable for your individual dietary requirements.
Are your containers BPA free?
All our plastic containers are made from PET which are all BPA free, numbers are located on the bottom which indicates the type of plastic & recyclability of that particular container.
Wanting glass jars in the supermarket and not plastic?
We also like glass much more than plastic and were really disappointed to be advised by supermarkets that our glass jars were to be deleted (we don’t actually make these choices). The majority of customers wanted the convenience of a squeeze bottle. In addition to the plastic dilemma we also balance the livelihoods of our beekeepers and knowing that if our products were not on the shelf then likely they would be replaced by imported honey also in plastic - so nothing would be achieved.
We have worked hard as part of our voluntary membership of the National Packaging Covenant to decrease the amount of plastic in our containers (to lightweight them as far as possible to reduce the plastic volume) and to ensure we use quality plastic that can be reclaimed and recycled and to encourage recycling and recycle everything we possibly can internally. Sadly though we must all push for more to happen. Coles stores have recently added our Bee Delicate, Bee Fruity, Bee Warm and Bee Bold in a 350g glass jars and we have a large range of products available in glass through our online stores and Beechworth Honey Shop so they’re still available to passionate glass advocates.
We feel it’s actually about making whatever differences we can, one step at a time.
Is your honey pasteurised?
Beechworth Honey is raw meaning it is not pasteurised. The exception is for honey sent to WA where it is a legal requirement if the honey is produced outside of WA.
Raw honey is not pasteurised or heated to high temperatures. It is warmed just enough to allow it to flow easily into jars while retaining all the natural enzymes, flavours and aromas. Raw honey has minimal processing.
Honey Safety
Can you guarantee Beechworth Honey is safe to eat?
Absolutely yes! We have our own hives and only work with the best Australian beekeeping families we can find.
We are quite choosy about the beekeepers we deal with, not every beekeeper or every lot of honey makes the grade! We make sure we understand their businesses and the way they treat their bees and hives. We inspect their sites, ask lots of questions about their practices and the honey they supply us, we randomly test their honey for a whole range of different measures just to make doubly sure and to satisfy our customers. We’ve got a simple mandate – we’d never feed honey to your family that we wouldn’t feed to ours. That way we’re happy that you can feel confident in feeding it to yours!
About Bees
Do you feed your bees sugar?
Our bees collect nectar from eucalypt trees or ground flora that are flowering in order to produce honey. Nectar is the best source of nutrition for bees and beekeepers always try to ensure that they are either on a nectar flow or that they have left enough stored honey on the hives to ensure the bees have sufficient stores of food until the next source of flowers.
Rarely, if there has not been enough flowers or if a honey / nectar flow has failed due to poor weather and the bees have been highly active consuming their stores of honey, a beekeeper may find it necessary to supplementary feed their hives to ensure they don’t starve. They will use a sugar syrup simply made with dissolved white sugar and water but this is only fed in small quantities that the bees can consume and and not store. Bees are only fed in emergencies when there is not a nectar flow or honey crop. The bees consume the sugar syrup well before the next honey flow so it never ends up in our honey. Sugar is expensive and beekeepers first choice is to manage their bees environment so that they don’t have to supplementary feed. The diet of natural nectar is always the preferred option and better for the bees.
As part of our quality assurance system we regularly monitor the natural sugar composition of honey as this is required as part of the Australian food standards code and have never had any issues.
Do you take all the honey from the hive leaving the bees with none?
We choose the best of the best beekeepers by having four generations of knowledge of good beekeeping practices. Great beekeepers know that the very best diet for keeping bees happy and healthy is honey produced by the hive.
For this reason our beekeepers work really hard to ensure they leave enough honey stores on the hive for the hive to eat. This is the primary job of the beekeeper to only take excess honey that the hive does not need. In periods of drought where there is a failure of the next honey crop it may be necessary for a beekeeper to prevent the hive from starving to death by supplementary feeding the hive with small amounts of sugar syrup. Beekeepers don’t like to do this, its inferior nutritionally, costly and time consuming and is only done as a last resort when mother nature lets us down! This syrup is fully consumed by the bees and does not make it into the next honey flow.
Company
Who owns Beechworth Honey?
Steven and Jodie Goldsworthy own Beechworth Honey, they are fourth generation Australian beekeepers.
Is Beechworth Honey Australian owned?
Beechworth Honey is a 100% Australian family owned company with our home base in Beechworth, north east Victoria.
Is Beechworth Honey a family business?
100% family owned with no external investors, the Goldsworthy family own Beechworth Honey, fourth generation Australian beekeepers. In fact the fifth generation is already keeping bees of their own.
Online Ordering
How do I create an account with Beechworth Honey?
Accounts can be created when you place an online order. You can not create an account before placing an order.
To create an account you need put products in your Shopping Cart and click on Proceed to Check-out. You will then see a box that is ticked saying 'Create Beechworth Honey shopping account. Untick to proceed as guest'. To create an account leave this box ticked and continue with your order. Once you have paid, your account will be created allowing you to store your payment details securely, see past orders, change delivery address etc.
When you create an account you are not automatically subscribed to our email list for updates and company news. This is a separate sign-up which you can find in the footer of our website.
I am having trouble logging in
Make sure you have signed up to become an online customer. This is different from being on our email list. If you have provided us with your email address you may have received emails and newsletters from us but never ordered with us online, so now you need to sign up to become an online customer.
It won’t accept my password
Make sure your password has a combination of letters and numbers it will state if it's a strong password.
I have been locked out of the account as I have tried to log in a few times
Please give us a call on (02) 6033 2322 or email sales@beechworthhoney.com.au and we can reset your account.
Why type of payments do you accept?
We accept Mastercard, Visa Card, Paypal and Apple Pay.
I placed an online order however I haven't received any updates or information
Once the order has been completed and is ready for dispatch you will receive an email advising your order is being dispatched. Once it is scanned by the courier/Post Office you will then receive tracking information from Shippit. They are an external company that organise the shipping of your order.
However if you have any queries about delivery please call us on 02 6033 2322 or email sales@beechworthhoney.com.au
I have tried to reset my password however I am not receiving the emails
Please give us a call on (02) 6033 2322 or email sales@beechworthhoney.com.au and we can help you.
Will my order arrive safely as they are glass jars?
We are experts in sending online orders we carefully wrap in eco friendly packaging and pack to ensure nothing is damaged.
Shipping
How long will it take to receive my online order?
We cannot guarantee how long it will take to receive your order as once it is dispatched from Beechworth Honey it is in the hands of couriers.
We aim to have orders dispatched and delivered to our customers within 7 working days. To some regional parts of Australia delivery can take longer.
During busy periods, such as Free Shipping Events, Christmas, and public holidays, delays in delivery can occur due to the capacity of our transport providers, business holiday closures between Christmas and New Year or larger volumes of orders that may take us longer to process.
What couriers do you use to deliver online orders?
We use Fastway, Australia Post, TNT & Toll.
Do you ship internationally?
Unfortunately we unable to send retail orders to overseas markets at this time as there are too many variables which may affect the ability of the honey or honey products to be cleared through customs. Surprisingly there are not uniform standards or import processes for honey in all countries and often requirements can change quickly and without notice. This can mean that we do all the work of producing and shipping the order and you make a payment for the order but it does not arrive. We trust that you will appreciate that we do not wish to have this happen and as a result we would prefer not to receive payment in the first place for a product that we may not be able to get to you.
Why can't I send honey to WA?
All honey that goes from Eastern states of Australia into Western Australia must be pasteurised or heated and be inspected by AQIS before entry. We pasteurise honey for WA supermarket orders only. Why?
Western Australia bees have not been exposed to a bacterium (European Foulbrood – EFB) that has been found in the Eastern states.
European Foulbrood is a disease which kills bees. Infected bees can’t fly across the interior of the continent because the journey’s too far and too harsh, however the disease could reach Western Australia as spores in untreated honey. These spores wouldn’t harm you if you ate them, but if a jar with a small amount of remaining honey gets thrown away in Western Australia and the bees found it, they would take the spores back to the hive causing the hive to become infected. As disease can spread from hive to hive, it wouldn’t just be honey production that would be affected as bees pollinate a large amount of plants and crops that we rely on for food. We take biosecurity and food security very seriously so ask that our customers follow these guidelines and protect WA bees.
Aside from orders going to WA supermarkets, we do not pasteurise our honey. Therefore the following products are prohibited from entering WA - Honey, honeycomb, beeswax and beeswax candles, pollen, bee hives and used beehive equipment. Also any product that contains greater than 5% honey as an ingredient which also means our Sparkling Honey Sodas and all varieties of Nougat, Lip Balms and Bee Balms.
Can I send honey to Tasmania?
Like Western Australia, Tasmania has some quarantine restrictions on honey. Biosecurity Tasmania rules do not allow honeycomb or raw beeswax into Tasmania. Liquid and creamy honey are okay to be taken into Tasmania. However, due to the ongoing response to Varroa mite (Varroa destructor) in NSW, the Tasmanian Chief Plant Protection Officer has put in place an extension to General Biosecurity Direction (Emergency) to further prevent the introduction of this honeybee parasite into Tasmania. Due to this, we cannot guarantee that all honey products will pass Tasmania's border protection.
We have restricted the sale of:
• Bee Creamy Honey – all varieties
• Honeycomb - All products that contain honeycomb
• All Beeswax products – including all candles, Beeswax, Bee Balm & Lip Balm
• Gift packs - Containing Creamy Honey & Honey & Honeycomb
• Bee Friendly Seeds
Are there shipping restrictions for Kangaroo Island?
Kangaroo Island is a Ligurian Bee Sanctuary. Carrying honey, bees and bee products onto the island is prohibited.
All honey and products containing honey are strictly prohibited.
What is the shipping cost?
We offer flat rate shipping of $15 on each order delivered to a single Australian mailing address. Orders over $100 will receive free delivery to a single Australian address.
Order tracking
When will I receive tracking information?
Once your order has been picked up or scanned by the courier, tracking information will be sent via email with further updates along the way.
What if I am not home when they try and deliver my parcel?
All couriers will leave a card to advise they have tried to deliver your parcel and instructions about how to redeliver or collect your parcel.
Skincare
Are your skincare products natural?
All our skincare ingredients are naturally derived or naturally occurring except for the safe synthetic preservatives Phenoxyethanol and Ethyhexylglycerin, and Carbomer which helps keep oil and liquid components from separating. These synthetic ingredients make up less than 3% of the ingredients in our skincare range.
Do your skincare products contain palm oil?
All Beechworth Honey Lip Balms and Manuka & Tea Tree Bee Balm are 100% free from palm oil & palm derived ingredients.
Our other Beauty products contain some ingredients that, although are not palm oil, are derived from palm ingredients. These include:
Ceteareth 20
Cetearyl Alcohol
Caprylyl/Capryl Glucoside
Sodium Lauroyl Sarcosinate
Sodium Lauroamphoacetate
Sodium Chloride
Sodium Cocoyl Glutamate
Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride
We are working with our supplier towards removing these ingredients from our range.
All suppliers of these palm derived ingredients sit on the RSPO (Roundtable of Sustainable Palm Oil), the international organisation that develops and implements global standards for sustainable palm oil. These suppliers have committed to produce, source and/or use sustainable palm oil certified by the RSPO.
Is there a Best Before Date on your skincare products?
There is no requirement for a Best Before Date on skincare and shelf life testing is only done when requested. Batch numbers on the products are for the manufacturer to track the product.
Gifts
Can you add a gift note to my order?
Yes we can organise a personalised message to be included when you order online. At the Payment Page you will be asked 'Is this a gift?' Tick the box and write the gift note in the box provided.
How do I order a gift hamper?
In just three simple steps you can create your own custom Honey Hamper:
1. Add your selection of products to your cart (maximum 7 items)
2. Add the Create Your Own Hamper box to your cart
3. At the Payment Page you will be asked 'Is this a gift?' Tick the box and write the gift note in the box provided.
Lifestyle & Home
What oils do you use on your wooden boards?
We finish the boards firstly with two layers of pure tung oil (derived from nuts). This seals the timber and withstands multiple wipes with a soapy cloth at the kitchen sink. Tung oil has almost no scent. To give a smooth texture to the boards we apply a mixture of beeswax, olive oil and essential oils. There is no preservative of any sort used so that we can assure customers that the boards are completely food safe. What can happen in time is that the essential oils can evaporate leaving the aroma of beeswax and olive oil mix which can be less than desirable. When setting up our market stall we usually smear the items with our magic formula which restores the aroma of essential oils. We have had numerous favourable comments about the scents emanating from our stall but no negative remarks. One customer asked why the olive oil does not go rancid and we told him that perhaps the beeswax has a preservative in it. This has not been confirmed by industrial chemists! It may help to ensure some air flow between boards.