How our story began
Our love for bees and honey began many years ago, when Hannele first watched a neighbour extracting honey from the combs. The freshly harvested honey tasted wonderful, with tiny pieces of beeswax that were a delight to chew.
As a teenager, Hannele sold the neighbour’s honey at a local market to earn some summer money. To do so, she began learning about bees and honey – and soon discovered a fascinating world of its own.
Years later, after completing her studies and starting a family, the time finally seemed right to keep bees of her own. Hannele borrowed a beekeeping book from the library and read it aloud to Tomi, who was not quite as enthusiastic about the idea. Eventually, however, he agreed to join her on a beginners’ beekeeping course.
Our first hives arrived in the summer of 2011. We had planned to keep just two colonies, enough to provide honey for our family and a few Christmas gifts for relatives. But Tomi soon fell in love with beekeeping too, and two hives gradually became many more.
Over the years, our little venture has grown into Lakeuden Hunaja, a family-run beekeeping business in Lapua, South Ostrobothnia, Western Finland. Our children have also been part of the journey. Today, we care for bees at several apiaries across the surrounding countryside and grow blackcurrants and clover on our family farm.
Bees are our passion
Beekeeping is something you never stop learning. There is always more to discover, understand and improve.
But caring for bees is not just about knowledge. It is also about using your senses – listening, watching, recognising scents and noticing the smallest changes in the hive. And, of course, it takes a fair amount of physical strength.
A sunny summer day, a gentle breeze, the hum of thousands of bees and the scent of honey and beeswax – these are some of the moments we love most.
To us, bees are far more than honey producers. As pollinators, they play a vital role in nature, biodiversity and food production. They deserve our care and respect.
The wellbeing of our bees is at the heart of our work. We carefully monitor the health of our colonies and use organic acids and other non-synthetic methods to manage Varroa mites, a common threat to honey bees. We work with the bees’ natural behaviour, and we leave honey and pollen in the hives for winter and provide additional feed when needed, especially during the cold Finnish spring. We also pay close attention to the location of our apiaries, the condition of our hives and the way we handle our bees.
Experience has taught us that understanding a colony takes more than simply looking inside a hive. Sometimes, it almost feels like a sixth sense.
Honey is a pleasure to savour
A soft, velvety texture. A little sunshine on the tongue. Delicate hints of meadow flowers and the Finnish countryside.
Our signature honey, Lusikkapehemoonen, is a gently stirred, soft-set multifloral honey with a delicate, mellow flavour. Its name comes from the local South Ostrobothnian dialect and describes its wonderfully soft, spoonable texture.
Just as different grape varieties and growing regions give wines their distinctive character, the flowers visited by bees shape the flavour and aroma of honey. In Finland, the long, light-filled summer days and the diversity of flowers in fields, meadows and forests create the conditions for a rich variety of honeys.
We carefully manage the crystallisation of our honey and stir it gently to achieve a fine, smooth texture that stays soft and easy to spread. Our honey is not pasteurised.
Alongside Lusikkapehemoonen, we produce seasonal speciality honeys, flavoured honey preparations and granolas made with honey.
For us, every jar of honey is a gift from the bees – and a little taste of the Finnish summer. We want to share that gift with care, respect and a passion for good honey.
Warm greetings from the wide open landscapes of Western Finland!
Tomi & Hannele Suvanto
Beekeepers at Lakeuden Hunaja
