Whole Frame Honey

Tending the bees has been an enjoyable pastime, hidden on the grounds of the Culinary Vegetable Institute that we can now share with you and your guests.

For several years, the Chef’s Garden has harbored bee hives tucked in among its spruce trees as well as the farm’s flower production greenhouse and fields on the grounds of the Culinary Vegetable Institute. The abundance of sweet nectar on the property has resulted in tons of honey being produced by the now 15 hives.

Executive Chef Liaison Jamie Simpson spent countless hours searching out the best way to present this product to complement its great taste. He talked with many welders, woodworkers and artists to find a craftsman who understood his vision. At last he found that person. A drive through Amish country brought him to a small white building with a sign that simply said “Cabinets.” Inside, he found a young Amish man working in a shop lined with amazingly constructed cabinets and dressers. The craftsman, paralyzed from the waist down, works on his stomach on a rolling bed with a toolbox under his pillow. Together they created an artful way to display the honey in a whole frame.

Fortunately, the Eastern Europe breed of bee selected by CVI is adaptable to northeast Ohio’s unpredictable climate. It possesses the ability to survive long winters and to self-adjust nutrient content derived from plants based on nectar availability. The taste and color of the honey changes with each season as the nectar the bees dine on varies.

Each unique hand-crafted frame holds about five pounds of this wholesome food which is the result of as much as two million flowers and 55,000 miles in flight time to produce. In its lifetime, a single honey bee will make about one-twelfth of a teaspoon of honey.

This Whole Frame Honey can be displayed on cheese carts, in pastry cases, on a buffet or anywhere an authentic presentation is desired.

Tending the bees has been an enjoyable pastime that we can now share with you and your guests. Serving the honey in a natural wood frame not only heightens the dining experience, it provides an opportunity for restaurant goers to better connect with the natural ingredient food world, while supporting CVI’s mission to provide the finest in agri-culinary experiences.