Institute of Northern Ireland Beekeepers

The team of I.N.I. Beekeepers honey judges travelled (at their own expense) across to Yorkshire to give support to other stewards and judges at the Great Yorkshire Honey Show on June 2007.

The main reason for their trip was for the I.N.I.B. honey judges to gain first hand knowledge of a large honey show and further increase their own skills and techniques in judging bee produce for the show bench.
The team led by Chairman Michael Young included Hugh & Lorraine McBride, Billy Douglas, Cecil McMullen and Gail Orr. Each member of the group was assigned to shadow a Senior British Honey Judge.



The I.N.I.B. team expressed their gratitude to the Yorkshire Agricultural Society, Senior Judges and most of all Michael Badger MBE for helping co-ordinating the whole event. Without Michael's support it could not have happened.
This, the coal face experience, can not be underestimated. The exercise is invaluable and will help increase the confidence, knowledge, fairness and standards of judging bee produce at any future honey shows.

Honey Show Information

Virginia Webb Honey from West Virginia from Clarkesville, Georgia won a Gold medal for her 24 entry at Apimondia. Virginia was one of the very first to receive her Honey Judge Certificate at the Young Harris Beekeeping Institute in 2001 using the Welsh examination criteria.

Virginia’s exhibits are some of the finest I have seen having won many top prizes in America but also at the National Honey Show in London. Not only is Virginia an excellent exhibitor but an excellent honey judge and is helping others to master their skills.