R.I.P. The 1lb round.

I’m going to have to order more honey jars soon and yes I might be counting my chickens before they hatch, but they will easily keep for a few years (the jars not the chickens). I’ve posted before that I was happy to use 1lb or 500g jars but times are changing. Visit any supermarket and you will find the 340g/12oz jar is now the standard and you might find value honey in 1lb jars. If you visit any deli or tourist shop you’ll find 1lb honey jars quite rare. The price asked for good quality local honey is now so high I think nobody will dare to sell it in 1lb rounds. I’m thinking of switching to the 12oz Hex even though the jars are expensive. Another downside of smaller jars will be all the moaning from my customers that their being ripped off. By the way I’m not being greedy because I’ve already spent this year’s anticipated profit on more equipment. Unless you lot think different Rest In Peace the 1lb round.

You may be onto something lindsay, there was a good article in beecraft last September (I think) the premise of which was that generally beekeepers aren't great at marketing honey. The author argued that local honey is an artisan product and we should market and charge as such. My beekeeping colleague and I are working on our own labelling to this effect in an attempt to reflect the premium nature of local honey. As yet we haven't given any consideration to jar shape or size but maybe we should start thinking about it

Steven

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I'd not want to give up the 1lb's simply because they do make us stand out against a backdrop of 12oz jars.

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Originally Posted by prakel

I'd not want to give up the 1lb's simply because they do make us stand out against a backdrop of 12oz jars.

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I suppose that's the other angle quality and value compared to the supermarkets generic products

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Originally Posted by prakel

I'd not want to give up the 1lb's simply because they do make us stand out against a backdrop of 12oz jars.

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Aye, me too. Also, my honey is nutritious food for local families, not some twee gifty shite for well heeled tourists.

I've gone down to half pound hex. Still sell out.

I'm with you Black Comb! Luckily for me I don't have to do any honey marketing. My OH Lucy just sells it through clubs she's in and through her Facebook friends. Our honey is pretty widely travelled! But 8oz or 12 oz is great - you can sell less for more money and people are starting to get the idea that our honey is a premium product. No offence to those of you that do get it but none of our honey is OSR - mixed blossom (mainly clover) first and then heather.

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Originally Posted by drumgerry

8oz or 12 oz is great - you can sell less for more money and people are starting to get the idea that our honey is a premium product.

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I go to a couple of farmers markets where there are honey stalls. None of them sell 1lb jars any more, but the prices for 12oz seem to be about the same as 1lb.

I seem to get more takers for 12oz jars than any other, but try to keep some in 1lb jars for honey shows.

We've always sold ours in 8oz hex jars and minis. The minis are good for visiting cyclists who just want a reminder of the breakfast honey; we have no trouble selling 8oz jars to both locals and visitors.

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Originally Posted by mbc

Also, my honey is nutritious food for local families, not some twee gifty shite for well heeled tourists.

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I totally agree with you mbc. A fair bit of my honey is given away and I sell as much as I can door to door. But I get paid a lot more money from the shop I supply to than I get from selling it door to door. A local deli is selling Scottish blended honey in 8oz hex jars for £4.15; a price I think is far too high. If anyone has the magic formula for quantity, quality and value please let me know.

I've no idea what the magic formula is I'm afraid … I just hope that the 1 lb round remains in favour a little longer as I've got several hundred in my store to use up. I also dislike the 12oz hex jars with the shoulders that always seem to trap bubbles. Finally the 8 oz jars hardly seem to be worth the trouble of filling (though I suppose I might change my mind if I was able to charge over £4 for it).

BBKA have a go at estimating the cost of running a hive this month (last month?) - I've not read it thoroughly but have been thinking about this recently. For me it's a hobby and I don't need to turn a profit, though it would be good to recoup some of the outlay (like the new extractor I have my eye on). However, my time is the thing in shortest supply and bottling honey - washing jars, drying lids, labelling etc. - is very time consuming. Another reason for me to keep going with the 1 lb rounds for as long as possible.