Honey House Mihovi

Honey House Mihovi is situated in the lovely countryside village of Prilep. It is just 45 km north of Varna and 30 km southeast of Dobrich. The village is unique with its landscape – a mountain situated beneath the plateau of Dobrudzha. The visitors can enjoy the incredible taste of hand-made sweets, made with honey and tahini; try a honey bar, a honey brandy and a high-energy cocktail of honey, pollen and a fresh citrus.

While tasting the sweet delights made out of honey, the tourists can watch documentary about bees’ life and work of the apiary and learn interesting facts about beekeeping from ancient time to today. They also have the chance to find out more about the curative and high-nutritive qualities of the bee products – honey, pollen, propolis, royal jelly, homogenate drone-brood etc.

In the garden, various types of bee houses are presented: stone caves, stumps and hollows, a clay beehive used in Egypt and Israel and a skep, typical for the region. The visitors can observe the glass beehive and study the bees’ life inside. It offers the opportunity to see how the bee workers bring in pollen and nectar and also ventilate and build the wax cells of their honeycomb. The Honey House has a little shop where visitors can see and buy bee products.

Beekeepers Mihovi have been devoted to the apiculture since 1994. From a hobby, bee keeping became a family business. At present, they cultivate 200 beehives in four apiaries. They sell their products online and at farmers markets and are well known to the local consumers.

The main purpose of Honey House Mihovi is to advance the education of the public in the craft of beekeeping, to promote an appreciation of the traditional ways of cultivating bees and producing honey and api-products as well as to raise awareness of the importance of the bees in the environment.

They welcome individuals and organised groups of tourists, students and children to actively participate and observe the process of honey extraction. This is a memorable and enriching experience, which brings them closer to nature.

Marketing approach

The Honey House has a website http://www.medenakyshta.com/en/honey-house-mihovi/ and a Facebook page where the latest news and events are shared.

They sell their products online and at specialised farmers markets in Dobrich and Varna. They also participate in various agricultural and beekeepers’ trade shows and fairs. They have won some of the most prestigious awards in the sector e.g. “Beekeeper of Dobrudzha”.

Financial situation

The company’s income comes mainly from sales of honey and bee products.

Tourism is an additional occupation for the family that is mostly used for promotion and social purposes: education, socialisation and preservation of traditions.

Key success factors and challenges

• Offering a unique and memorable experience for the visitors;
• Education and encouraging love for the natural bee products;
• Promotion of the traditional apiculture among local residents, young people and visitors.

Sources of the images:
http://www.medenakyshta.com/en/galeria/
https://www.facebook.com/medenakyshta/photos