Honey and beekeeping in Norway

It is not known how long beekeeping has been practiced in Norway, but we do know that beeswax in the Bronze Age was used for casting, among other things, jewelry. The Viking sagas reveal that the Vikings brought honey and beeswax with them on their expeditions. Mead (brewed from honey) is associated with the Vikings, but it was a rare and costly drink that only the wealthiest could afford.

From the 1700s we know that beekeeping was practiced in several places in Eastern Norway and Southern Norway. Halvor Blinderen (1733–1804) from Nedre Blindern farm in Aker (now Oslo) is regarded as a pioneer both in beekeeping and in other agriculture. In the mid-1800s there was a development of the equipment used in beekeeping, including beehives with removable frames that could be taken out without sacrificing the bees. Beekeeping became increasingly common, and the Norwegian Beekeepers Association was established in 1884.

Honningcentralen was established in 1927 and is a cooperative that as of 2022 has approximately 1,500 members (“owners”). The membership ranges from amateurs with a few hives in the garden to commercial beekeepers with many hundreds of hives. The members deliver their fully extracted honey to us, and we control and approve the honey according to established criteria. The honey is then sorted according to type (heather honey, summer honey, organic honey, etc.). After that, the honey is filled into packaging adapted to the different markets we supply. “The orange tin box” was launched from the very beginning in 1927 and is one of Norway’s most iconic brands.

Become a beekeeper

Beekeeping is a rewarding and exciting hobby, where you study and develop the lives of the diligent bees in the hive and out searching for nectar and pollen. Honey is a pleasant by-product of the hobby. Contact the local branch of the Norwegian Beekeepers Association in your district for more information. If you are considering investing commercially in honey with several beehives, it is important to familiarize yourself with the current market situation. The demand for honey is stable, but the supply, and thus the prices, can vary greatly over time.