Write up: Good Honey Company
Making my way to a village historically known as one of the upper settlements of the River Frome, in the Mendip district of Somerset, I took a deep breath. Exhaled. And felt a gentle smile appear as I slipped into a natural reverie. I was in my happy place. Driving down country lanes lined with bounteous hedgerows and ancient trees. The awakening landscape peppered with old stone farm houses that would tell a thousand stories if given the opportunity. Sunshine warming the morning air, stretching down into the valley villages still half asleep in the shadows. I noticeably slowed down to a country-fit pace, blissfully allowing myself the time to take in the scenery around me.
I was set to be spending the day with Camila Uhlein, Founder, Creative and Bee Enthusiast behind Good Honey Company. Having spotted her eco friendly Beeswax Food Wraps (more on those later) in The Newt’s farm shop, I was eager to track her down and learn more about the journey of this product and its maker.
Pulling up to an old family cottage, I was welcomed by Camila and an eager pack of dogs who excitedly made their acquaintances before returning to lounge in the warmth of the late morning. We entered through the back gate, revealing an intimate garden alight with energy as the sun graced us with its presence after a week in hiding.
Before setting off on our first hive visit, we took a moment to enjoy a coffee. I appreciated that our day started with a wooden table, visibly aged from years of good use and battling with the elements. Our conversation naturally turning to a shared love of bucolic living, foraging and creating things out of what we may come into contact with.
“Somerset is the place that sets my soul on fire”
Speaking with Camila you quickly understand how much of an appreciation she has for her home and its surroundings. Describing Somerset, despite having travelled to many countries and continents across the world, as the place that sets her soul on fire. It is a place that echoes ancient tales of our relationship with nature. It is where she can roam freely, explore abundantly and continue to build her relationship with the natural world. It is where her roots run deep into the soil that she played on as a child, and continues to play in as a woman. Hands in the hive. Toes in the earth. Fresh air in her lungs. This is Camila’s medicine.
Arriving at our first hive destination I saw the workings of a dedicated colony of bees living in the area. Houses stood proudly wrapped in their cloak of summer flowers. Crooked apple tree branches weighted down towards the earth by a surplus of ripening fruit. At the bottom of the garden a vegetable patch, teeming with organic produce, undeniably stole my attention Beckoning me to peer under leaves and marvel at the end of summer harvest about to make its way to the table.
We waded through the wild grass, parting away branches in order to get to the hives, adding a romantic sense of adventure to the entire process. It was then that Camila told me of her minimal interference approach. Beekeeping comes with a responsibility that goes beyond tending to a colony to produce honey, she explained. Instead, her approach is far more holistic and centres around the flow of the seasons. Understanding when to be hands on with the hives, and when to allow nature to do its thing. After all, our coevolutionary relationship with these fascinating insects dates back to as early as 6000 BC.
But despite this primeval love affair, our modern industrialised farming techniques pose as a major threat. Monoculture farming, and harmful chemical pesticides such as neonicotinoid, continue to damage our wildlife populations and ecosystems. According to renowned Daylesford Organic Farm, 75% of UK butterfly species have declined in the past decade and eight of our 25 bumblebee species are threatened, with two already extinct! On average organic farms have 48% more species of pollinators than non-organic farms.
With this in mind, Camila sees her role as the Creative Founder of Good Honey Company as an opportunity to revive our relationship with bees. And in doing so, harnessing the power of natural resources to positively impact our lives. Good Honey Company offers alternative natural solutions which mitigate problems such as single use plastics.
I watched intently as Camila began her ritual. Lighting the bee smoker (which uses a chemical free material that doesn’t harm the Bees) and taking a moment to observe the energy around her. Lifting the visor over her head and attaching the suit before we upheaved the first roof. I quickly felt a crescendo of active bees alive around us, to which Camila subtly remarked, “Isn’t it beautiful…”.
Beeswax food wraps, a sustainable alternative to single use plastics
Back at the cottage garden Camila took me through the history and process of creating her Good Honey Company’s Beeswax food wraps. With Somerset’s rich countryside heritage, it comes as no surprise that Beekeeping has long been a traditional craft in the area. Beeswax is a natural substance generated and secreted by honey bees, and becomes soft and pliable when heated. I learned that the wraps are in fact a food preservation technique developed and used by the Victorians before single use plastics invaded our households. An inventive alternative that speaks of a time when people were forced to utilise nature to their benefit. Having no option but to be resourceful with what they could get their hands on.
Camila’s work as a freelance Beekeeper in Somerset and Bristol has undoubtedly fuelled her desire to reconnect us to this dwindling practice. Working with other Beekeepers in the local area, Good Honey Company utilises 100% natural Beeswax from her local community in Somerset. The natural ingredients allows the wraps to breathe, and ensures food stays fresh for longer. Easily moulded with the warmth of your hands, these tactile wraps are reusable, and only require a gentle wash with a little soap and cold water between uses.
To me, Good Honey Company embodies the principles of Ubuntu; a company that embraces and celebrates the diversity of opportunity that can come from being connected with nature and your community. A sustainable, ethical and independent business which acts with purpose. Offering a hand crafted product that works with nature and not against it. Promoting positive life style choices that show an active commitment to making the necessary incremental changes for a greener, and more sustainable, future.
It is Camila’s mission to continue re-educating our generation, and generations to come, as well as offering alternative solutions to a world intoxicated with plastic. It is an exciting time for Good Honey Company, and I have no doubt that these humble wraps are simply just the beginning of something very special. Thank you for bringing me into your world, and for openly sharing the treasures of a hive with the world around you.
Ubuntu Camila.
I am, because we are.