A CHANGE of venue for the Honey Festival is hoped to attract more Western Australians through the gates in May.
The event has been relocated from the Swan Valley to the newly-developed Yagan Square in the city and will take place on Sunday, May 6.
Featuring exhibitor stalls, beehive displays, candle-making workshops, an Ezyloader demonstration, the Honey Cake competition and family-friendly entertainment such as face painting and the waggle-dance session, the event is expected to attract beekeepers, industry representatives and considerable general public interest at its new home in the CBD.
WA Food Ambassador, Don Hancey, will also be on hand to cook up some culinary delights in the mobile kitchen using products from Capilano Honey.
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WAFarmers beekeepers section president, Leilani Leyland, said a change of venue was inevitable, given rising interest in the state’s apiary industry.
“Beekeeping has received some great publicity recently, with the ChemCentre project for testing our Jarrah and Marri health properties, plus the commencement of a Certificate III in Beekeeping encouraging for new entrants into the industry,” Mrs Leyland said.
“Clearly, there is a strong interest in apiary in Western Australia, so the Honey Festival is an excellent way to learn about how important the industry is and how large an impact it has on the entire food chain.
“The festival has enjoyed six years of wonderful exposure in the Swan Valley, and by moving the event to Yagan Square, we will be able to showcase our fantastic industry to an additional demographic, which will also include many interstate and international visitors.
“There has been a surge in beekeeping in recent years with the number of registered hives continually on the rise, so we hope that the festival will not only be fun for the whole family, but will educate patrons about best practice and help hobbyist beekeepers to get started.”
Mrs Leyland said the ever-popular Honey Cake competition would take on a different edge in 2018.
“This year, we want you to use your own recipe and produce a marvellous recipe that our chef Dale can judge,” she said.
“There will also be a People’s Choice award so you can vote for which cake you think is a winner, so get in quick at the festival to sample all the delicious entries.”
The event is supported by Wescobee Honey, Capilano Honey, Honey I’m Home Produce, The House of Honey, West Coast Honey, Westlands Honey, Honey in the Garden, John Guilfoyles Beekeeping equipment, Bee Wise, and WA Apiarists Society.
