Kealakekua, Hawaii (June 15, 2011) – Big Island Bees’ organic Lehua & Cinnamon honey has been selected as a 2011 Silver Finalist for Outstanding New Product in the   sofi™ Awards from the National Association for the Specialty Food Trade, Inc.  The sofi Awards recognize excellence in specialty foods and beverages and are a coveted industry honor. “sofi” stands for Specialty Outstanding Food Innovation.

The Lehua & Cinnamon honey was one of 125 SilverFinalists selected by a national panel of specialty food experts from a record 2,236 contenders across 33 Awards categories. Gold Winners will be announced in a red-carpet ceremony July 11, 2011 at the Summer Fancy Food Show in Washington, D.C. hosted by Celebrity Chef Cat Cora.

“We are thrilled that the judges picked our organic Lehua & Cinnamon honey,” said Whendi Grad, founder of Big Island Bees. “The combination of these two organic products from the Big Island seemed like a perfect match to us, and the judges seemed to agree”.  Big Island Bees’ products include organic Ohia-Lehua Blossom, organic Wilelaiki Blossom, and Macadamia Nut Blossom honeys, and are distributed throughout Hawaii, the U.S. West Coast, Canada, Japan, and China.

The sofi Awards are open to members of the NASFT, a not-for-profit trade association established in 1952 with more than 2,900 members throughout the U.S. and abroad. For more information on the NASFT and its Fancy Food Shows, go to www.specialtyfood.com and for complete coverage of the 2011 sofi Awards, visit foodspring.com/sofiawards.

“The field was the most competitive yet, with more than 2,326 entries across all

33 Awards. The innovation and quality of the finalists are a true testament to the entrepreneurial spirit of our members,” says Ann Daw, president of the NASFT.

We’ve been told informally that Big Island Bees honey is one of the most frequently confiscated items for travelers returning to the mainland from Hawaii.  And just today we received an email from a recent honeymooner checking on the cost of mailing replacements to Australia for her Wilelaiki blossom honey that wasn’t able to make the trip back with her.

Please remember that honey is considered a liquid subject to the TSA’s 3 ounce rule and, unless purchased at the airport, should be packed in checked luggage only.

Big Island Bees® Announces New Organic Hawaiian Lehua & Cinnamon Honey

KEALAKEKUA, Hawaii (October 2010)-

Big Island Bees announced that it has combined its celebrated organic, white Lehua honey with organic cinnamon grown on the Big Island of Hawaii.

Cinnamon’s flavor and putative health benefits have been popular for hundreds of years. The addition of organic cinnamon grown on the Big Island with organic white, crystallized Lehua honey is a marvelous combination of Big Island crops, as the spicy taste and fragrant nose of the cinnamon provides balance to the mild and gentle sweetness of the Lehua.

The Lehua blossom, from which the honey is produced, is indigenous to Hawaii and is the inspiration for an ancient Hawaiian legend of love and fidelity.

Big Island Bees is part of a family business that has been producing honey in Hawaii for almost 40 years. It takes great pride in not heating, filtering or blending its honeys, so as to produce intense single floral flavors. Its honey is distributed on the U.S. West Coast, Hawaii, Hong Kong, and Japan, and is carried by a variety of specialty stores and high-end grocers, including Whole Foods. For more information please visit www.bigislandbees.com.