Blue Mason Jar Studio: {Organic Wednesday} Savannah Bee Company

Savannah Bee founder Ted Dennard was first introduced to honey as a 12-year old boy on his father’s Coastal Georgia retreat property when a battered old pickup carrying beehives rattled into his life. The bee-covered driver of that flatbed truck was Roy Hightower, an elderly beekeeper scouting sites suitable for gathering “Swamp Honey” from the White Tupelo tree. In return for a place to keep his bees, Roy offered young Ted an education in that magical, buzzing world, but with a prophetic word of caution, “Son, bees sort of become a way of life.”

Returning home to Savannah, Ted kept bees along the Altamaha River, extracting his honey and pouring it into beautiful found bottles, and crafting lip balms with the wax from his hives. Mixed with luscious essential oils, his lip balm formula was hand-poured into tiny tins and given as gifts to friends and family. When he started selling his home-extracted Tupelo around town in 1998, people loved the purity and richness, and the word spread quickly. “I was bottling honey in the kitchen and keeping bees on the roof,” he recalls. When more Savannah stores wanted to sell his honey, he moved the operation to his garage. The little business continued growing, until he was forced to ask himself the ultimate question: To bee or not to bee?

With his passion blossoming into a business, Ted decided that he couldn’t ignore the potential, so in January of 2002 he quit his job, mortgaged his house, and put all his money into the venture—the Savannah Bee Company. He expanded the honeymaking “plant” into an old 800 square foot classroom at the Oatland Island Wildlife Preserve, where he paid his rent in honey. 2010 finds Ted operating a 40,000 square foot warehouse on Wilmington Island, a bridge’s distance from the City of Savannah. Savannah Bee operates three retail stores, bottles two distinct lines of world-class honeys, and manufactures a luxury beeswax-based body care line. Today’s operation is stark contrast to the days in Ted’s kitchen, but his passion has never changed. “I just love it,” he says. “I can’t imagine doing anything else.”

How can honey help my allergies? Local honey is great and by all means support your local beekeeper and perhaps it may be better for allergies. The Apimondia world beekeeping congress believes that honeycomb (no matter the geographical origin) is best for allergies and asthma. Ted believes both statements above: that honeycomb is best and that you should support your local beekeeper. If you have problems with allergies try the honeycomb first and if you can’t get it from your local beekeeper then buy any honeycomb. To reduce allergies with honeycomb therapy, enjoy a daily regime of eating 1 tablespoon of raw honeycomb once in the morning and once in the evening. Swallow the comb, or chew like chewing gum for 20 minutes and spit out. Delicious!

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Ted Dennards Blog

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My favorite: Honey perfection, Tupelo Honey is the gold standard by which all other honeys are measured. Two weeks every spring, White (Ogeche) Tupelo Trees bloom in the Southeastern swamps with fine sunburst-shaped flowers that glisten with nectar. Savannah Bee Company Tupelo Honey has buttery undertones and mellow, clean-finishing sweetness like a thick, slow-moving river of liquid sunshine. Tupelo Honey complements a variety of foods, but is so delicious, we like it best just with a spoon! KSA Kosher Certified.

I can't get enough of this! When I finish my jar I need to get another one because it is amazing!!

Royal Jelly, the most precious product from the hive, is combined with propolis to nourish and moisturize the skin. Packed with vitamins, lipids and amino acids, Savannah Bee Company Royal Jelly Body Butter promotes skin elasticity and smooths skin texture. Rich, softening pecan butter and a delicate blackberry scent add the final touches to this luxurious formula. 99.7% Natural ingredients. A Savannah Bee Company Best Seller.