Menorcan honey has been famous for centuries, since the Roman writer Pliny announced that the island produced the second best honey in the world after Greece. The King of Spain ordered Menorcan honey in the XIV century, according to documented evidence of the shipments, and some advertising posters have shown it was exported to Paris and London during the 18th century. It owes its delicious flavour to the huge variety of wildflowers on the island. The honey is collected from bee-keepers with apiaries but it is said that you can still find hives in caves and gorges and under the beams of some houses.
Traditionally honey has been used as food, for medicinal purposes or to add to wine. In Menorca there are many traditional recipes such as sobrasada with honey, aubergines with honey, white cheese with honey or mel i mantega (honey with beef dripping and bread crusts), a typical dessert on All Saints Day.
It is produced on many farms as a complement to main activities. It is, therefore, a well-established product that can be found in any basket of products made in Menorca. The climate can strongly affect production though, and in dry years, it can quickly go out of stock.
In 2006, the brand ‘Mel de Menorca’ was created, which currently includes all the island’s production that is marketed commercially. This includes honey of a thousand flowers (mil flores) and the monofloral honey of enclover, heather, bramble, and rosemary.
There is a Menorca Beekeepers Association and there are around 1,500 hives distributed throughout the island producing as much as 10,000kg of honey. The honey here is as unique as our flowers and it is said that it has a saltiness due to the influence of the wind in the low, maritime environment.
Specialist Honey Producers in Menorca
The Agroxerxa website lists many farms producing honey on the island and you will find jars of local honey at local shops, markets and fairs but here are details of some of the specialist producers:
Illa de Mel
Rafel Mascaró and Sara make a small production of high quality honey in Sant Climent. Illa de Mel was born from their passion for bees and the production and packaging are done in a traditional way. To ensure their bees and other pollinators have flowers available, they plant camamil.la and enclover. Illa de Mel won the best multifloral honey in Spain in the Mieladictos 2022 honey tasting competition.
Dolçamar Mel de Menorca
Beekeeper Antoni Anglada has been making honey near Ciutadella since 2012 producing different types of honey from plants such as yarrow, honeysuckle or rosemary. They won the best flower honey 2018, 2019 and 2020 in Spain in the Mieladictos annual awards. You can also buy Dolçamar honey and propolis sweets.
Mel i untis
Miquel Anglada Marquès produces honey under the trademark of Mel i untis located on the Camí Sant Joan de Missa, Ciutadella. Apart from honey, there are other products related to bees and other plant-based products produced on his farm, such as honey beer and honey vinegar.
Sebastià Pons Pons – S’eixam
Sebastià Pons in Sant Climent was the first beekeeper in Menorca who decided to become a professional. He is the largest producer of honey in Menorca and the oldest according to the Agroxerxa website. He has over 350 hives in 6 Apiaries.
Apiario Mobilista Lorenzo Riera
Lorenzo Riera is continuing the 200 year old family tradition of cultivating bees. Lorenzo is currently engaged in the production of honey as an amateur, which he markets both through direct sales and through different businesses on the island.
Xec Gornès Moll – Mar de Mel
Xec Gornès is an artisanal beekeeper who works with environmentally friendly products. He makes quality honey from native bees selling through local shops, fairs and markets..
For more information about honey producers see https://agroxerxa.menorca.es/
