WEST CAPE MAY — The latest buzz around Cape Island is a sweet business that opened on Sunset Boulevard, Cape May Honey Farm.
In an area that seems to have as much sugar as sand, dominated by ice cream and fudge stores, the small retail store owes its manufacturing to bees located in hives located around the island and in Erma. Owners Doug and Andi (Andriana) Marandino are hoping for a swarm of customers.
Andi said she and Doug took a trip to Bulgaria four years ago, her home country.
“My family always had bees,” she said, noting her mother gave her a tablespoon of honey each morning.
They visited beekeepers in Bulgaria. Upon their return, Doug took a beekeeping class from the South Jersey Beekeepers Association, said Andi.
He now has 20 hives. That number may double this summer, she said.
Andi said a year with lots of nectar available to bees produces more honey.
Doug is the sous chef for Cape May’s Washington Inn. Andi came to Cape May in 2002 as an exchange student and worked for the Craig family, owners of the Washington Inn.
What is the difference between Cape May Honey Farm honey and what is available at the grocery store?
“The honey that’s in the grocery store is really a sugar syrup because what happens in the grocery store is the honey sits on the shelves for a long time and it has to look good in the jar,” she said. “The commercial honey companies heat the honey which pasteurizes it and then they filter it through several filters.”
That removes small particles “that are good for you” such as the wax and the pollen, said Andi. The process gives the grocery store honey a nice appearance and allows it to sit on the shelf for a long time without crystallizing, she said.
The honey sold at Cape May Honey Farm is raw honey and is not pasteurized. Andi said their honey is strained but some wax and pollen remains in it.
“Honey has minerals and antioxidants and is anti-inflammatory and has immune-boosting properties, it’s good for the skin, it’s good for the hair, it’s good for allergies,” she said. “Different types of honey are good for health and body conditions.”
She said people have used buckwheat honey to treat sore throats and bronchitis.
The “Wildflower Honey” sold in their store is from their hives, she said.
“The local “Wildflower Honey” is great for allergies because you and the bees are exposed to the same environment and the same allergens…” said Andi.
They sell honey from other beekeepers representing 4,000 hives and also imported honey. They also will also sell rare American honeys like Tupelo and Palmetto honey from Florida, she said.
“We want this to be the store for all different type of honey and apiary products,” said Andi.
While some say honey is sugar, it is a different type of sugar, she said.
“There is a difference in eating a spoonful of sugar and eating a spoonful of honey because honey is an all-natural product, so your body absorbs it better and breaks down the sugars faster,” said Andi. “The additional benefits of honey outweigh the sugar content that you’re getting.”
Andi said extracting honey from hives is not that difficult if the hive is approached properly. She said the bees do not sting or attack unless they feel threatened.
“Our goal is not to just sell honey but we want to educate people on honey and the benefits of honey and the importance of the bees,” she said. “We’re lost without the bees.”
The bee population has been decreasing due to Colony Collapse Disorder.
“If the bee disappeared off the face of the earth, man would only have four years left to live,” stated Albert Einstein.
“We’re happy to be contributing to the planet,” said Andi.
