Family company Honey Kist Apiaries Limited unveiled at last Sunday’s Kingston Kitchen a concept that is both tasty and innovative. Its Simply Honey brand, which comes in two sizes — five and nine ounces — was first introduced in 2010 when the Jamaica Promotions Corporation (JAMPRO) brought it to the World Trade Fair in Shanghai, China, where, according to Honey Kist director Yvonne Frederick, “the product was well-received”.

Simply Honey comes in six flavours: plain, Blue Mountain coffee, ginger, lime, pimento and habanero (Scotch bonnet). Frederick told Thursday Food that the family has a number of apiaries in different parishes and after brainstorming, came up with the best possible ideas. “We decided that rather than sell plain honey we would find the best way to capitalise on the apiaries and produce a product that was innovative as well as marketable locally and overseas.” Frederick also shared that Honey Kist took part in the International Fancy Food Show at the Washington Convention Center in Washington DC last year June and since then has been contacted by overseas distributors who were pleased with the product.

As part of the Brand Jamaica 2012 initiative, JAMPRO has taken Simply Honey to New York, Canada and London, where the reception, as Frederick told Thursday Food, was “excellent”. It is no surprise that people would be drawn to the Simply Honey brand. “The product includes no additives or preservatives,” Frederick boasts. “It is raw honey infused with locally produced products.”

Although the product is currently bottled by the Scientific Research Council (SRC), Honey Kist in the very near future will be doing their own bottling as they seek to expand the brand as well as develop other products.

On local shelves since November of last year, Simply Honey can be found at Loshusan; Café Blue — Sovereign Centre and Rose Hall; The Novelty Shop at The Pegasus Hotel and Things Jamaica — Devon House as well as their corporate store at 14 Camp Road and Norman Manley International Airport. Customers are also able to purchase Simply Honey products online at www.HoneyKistja.com.