Grootbos - All The Honey

Most of the year in the Overberg it’s Quiet, still and sleeping. During the glorious months of May and July everything seems to burst into life with full force. Plants, animals, insects and an explosion of enticing smells along with a display of alluring colours from various blooming plants. These incredible blooms entice a host of outlandish winged insects that flock in during what are known as the secret months.

Grootbos Private Nature Reserve (only a 2 hour drive from the bustling city of Cape Town) strives to protect this thriving ecosystem and all its components, which is also home to clusters of magical and ancient Milkwood forests and the highly treasured South African Fynbos species. Future generations will enjoy the wonders as a result of the unrivalled efforts of the Grootbos Private Nature Reserve and their efforts towards future sustainability and preservation, even the most infinitesimal ecosystems on the reserve are not overlooked.

The treasured regional Fynbos are an unequivocal prized species of South Africa, its people and the Cape Honey bee, which reside in 120 wooden hives that are carefully placed around the area by Grootbos Private Nature Reserve, who are particularly fond of these tiny creatures. Providing these hives will also establish protecting the Cape Honey bee for future generations and also ensuring an exceptional and much loved product from this region is preserved.

Want to harvest your own honey and get up close to these incredible creatures? Grootbos offers you a chance first hand to go do so and take home your very own jar of Grootbos Fynbos honey. A trained Apiarist will guise you in appropriate beekeeping attire before setting out from the farm Siyakhula towards the hives and Fynbos. Observe the Apiarist’s dedication and skill to the art of beekeeping, he will reveal the most intricate works of the astonishing community created by that of a hive and the thousands of creatures that dwell inside whist collecting the honey. All this is done with the security in knowing that all possible safety precautions have been taken and all relevant equipment provided for your first beekeeping experience.

The pollen used is called Erica Irregularis pollen which is only native to that particular area and only available during the months of May, June and July (secret months). Siyakhula is the farm on the private reserve where once the honey is collected the rest of the intricate honey process takes place whilst you watch and take part, from filtering to bottling. Grootbos wishes to take the 120 hives they currently have and increase this number over the next few years, this will happily produce more of the appetizing honey and will more widely available.

The honey does full circle at Grootbos and is used on a lot of the delectable fresh menu items including honey glazed salmon and baby carrots, French toast with a berry fynbose compote and last but not least the special Grootbos Fynbos honey homemade ice cream. So why not make your way down to the reserve and witness this special happening, and leave with a special token from Grootbos, your very own jar of secret honey.