A local brand of gourmet raw honey, some of which is produced from hives maintained at various Heritage Malta sites, has won gold at the 2021 London International Honey Awards (LIHA).
The brand – Golden Island – manages apiaries at several locations across Malta, including the Heritage Malta sites at Tas-Silġ, Għar Dalam and San Pawl Milqi. Along with these sites, its hives are also situated at the San Anton and Verdala Palaces and Malta International Airport. It has been producing honey since 2008 and its products are well sought after, both locally and overseas.
The apiaries produce three harvests annually – spring (multifloral from borage, clover, citrus, and wild thistle), summer (monofloral – wild thyme), and autumn (multifloral – carob and eucalyptus). For the London International Honey Awards, Golden Island entered samples from its summer harvest.
The awards are judged by a panel of experts in a blind tasting. Eligible honey must pass extensive testing by an independent accredited laboratory. There are four awards ranging from bronze to platinum, with gold being reserved for honey that scores from 85.5 to 95.0 out of a maximum possible score of 100.
