Christian Jockheck knows his bees. Without a protective suit, the beekeeper from Lower Saxony harvests honey with a steady hand. He has the greatest respect for the insects’ contribution to nature and agriculture. He processes their precious natural product using gentle methods to create Jockheck's Honey.

Conversation with Christian Jockheck

Mr. Jockheck, you harvest honey without a protective suit. Are you a bee whisperer, or do you just get along well with insects?

Not always, but most of the time I go to the bees without a protective suit. I am a bee breeder, and every colony has its own character. I select the bees for specific traits such as brood comb constancy, honey yield, and gentleness. My father always used to say: If you want to know what the daughter will be like, look at the mother. That also applies to bees—a gentle queen produces gentle bees.

How did you get into beekeeping?

Through my grandfather. He took me along to the bees when I was just a child. By the age of ten, I had my first own colony. Now there are significantly more—and it remains my passion.

What distinguishes your honey?

I work with gentle methods: The honey is not heated, only very finely filtered, and I stir it until creamy without damaging it. This preserves the full aroma. Furthermore, I take the time for single-varietal purity—I follow the different nectar flows throughout the year with my bees.

Which varieties do you harvest?

Spring blossom, rapeseed blossom, summer blossom, linden blossom, sweet chestnut blossom, heather—depending on the year and the weather. Every variety has its own character, its own color, and its own taste. That is what is so exciting about this work.