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"Eleni Plachoura and Vasilis Ritas left big cities and construction companies to pursue their shared love of beekeeping. The result? Living close to nature, producing one-of-a-kind honey products.

The result? Living close to nature, producing honey products that are one of a kind.

I met them some time ago on a gastronomic trip to Epirus, where they showed me around their model organic factory in Katsikas, Ioannina, and talked to me about beekeeping. Their words, both then and recently when we spoke again, were so charming, almost loveable, capable of convincing even the most die-hard fan of urban life to give up everything and take to the mountains.

"Until 2014, we had nothing to do with beekeeping. We met as engineers on a work date. Over time, we became a couple and at first we each got two beehives, just as a hobby. But then the magic of this whole process captivated us. Anyway, as locals, since we were children we loved nature and especially the beauty of the mountains of Epirus. But our love became a thirst for knowledge and evolution in the production of a true miracle of nature. " they report characteristically.

From construction sites to reading and mountaintops

Eleni is a civil engineer with postgraduate studies in renewable energy sources in England and Vasilis studied and worked for more than a decade as a mechanical engineer. But with beekeeping they made a completely new beginning in their lives, on all levels. So for the needs of this restart they read and researched a lot. They were serious and professional, but never lost their romance.

“10 years ago we attended seminars at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki at the School of Beekeeping and Sericulture. There we learned how to produce organic honey using good nomadic beekeeping practices.” they explain how they got started and how their name came about: NOMAD Honey. “Since then we have not stopped informing ourselves, reading, researching, and so on. "Learning never ends if you want to produce quality products and at the same time respect nature. It is no coincidence that we were attracted to this particular activity. Bees are engineers, just like us. They build their hives with unimaginable precision and incredible detail," they emphasize.

Honey just as the bees themselves give it

In the Vikos-Aoos Geopark where NOMAD Honey's apiaries are located, 1,700 species and subspecies of aromatic plants and herbs thrive. This is one of the richest biodiversity zones in all of Greece.

"1/6 of Greece's plants are found here and this makes our work difficult but also interesting. The natural wealth that exists here makes the beehives very active, but this does not mean that we get excessive amounts of honey. On the contrary, in order to maintain the balance of the ecosystem, the honey that comes out is minimal and requires a lot of effort," describes Eleni.

"It is hard but also charming to climb 1,400 meters of altitude every day, walk on cliffs and carry at night to transport the beehives. However, the result that results more than compensates us. Pure and completely unprocessed, our honeys are rich in aromas, flavors and nutrients. "What we essentially do is help and take care of the bees. We practically serve their natural processes without interfering in any way with artificial means, chemicals, etc. And of course they repay us in the sweetest way," adds Vasilis.

6 rare varieties of honey

All the honeys produced at NOMAD Honey are organic and have been awarded repeatedly, in Greece and abroad, for their taste and quality. The honey from the blue thorn of the Vikos gorge is perhaps their rarest product. Distinguished by its intense aftertaste, it is produced in limited quantities and sells out almost immediately. "Last year, probably due to the prolonged drought in August, we didn't produce any, but we hope that this year we will have at least a small amount," comments Eleni. Also special is the slightly crystalline honey from the Souli arbutus trees, which has floral aromas, intense acidity and a characteristic bitter taste.

The fir trees of mountainous Evrytania produce honey with a delicate flavor and characteristic elements of vanilla and caramel, while the Ionian coast produces a classic version of fragrant and delicious pine honey. A classic in its category is the honey from herbs and wildflowers of Vikos Gorge, ideal for lovers of flower honey. With a deep, almost black color and rich texture, the oak of the Vikos Aoos National Park encloses in a jar all the aromas and flavors of an earthly paradise that is a balm for the stomach.

The first Greek energy gel

NOMAD Honey is the first company in Greece and one of the first in the world to create energy gels for athletes based on honey. More specifically, in 2018 Eleni and Vasilis created the Bear Strength NOMAD Natural Boost Honey Gel. They tested recipes and combinations, set up a production line in their own facilities and obtained a patent from the Industrial Property Organization (OBI), registering their idea.

"We relied on research and have also conducted a clinical study on the actions of these products. Today we produce an entire series that includes 6 different energy gels that combine the beneficial properties of organic honey with the natural benefits of cocoa, peanut butter, beetroot, etc. This way we cover many different dietary needs and preferences,” describe Eleni and Vasilis.

New creative challenges and plans for the future

Despite the success and international recognition of their work, NOMAD Honey are not complacent. Their products are already exported to Germany and America, while every year they successfully participate in awards and competitions around the world. But what are the next steps for NOMAD Honey?

"Our goal at this stage is to develop the distribution network. Not in the sense of expansion, i.e. more mass production of products, but in the sense of strategic placement of the limited quantities that we by definition produce."

"We are discussing, for example, the prospect of launching in Australia. As for new products, our most recent creations are raw organic protein and energy bars, without additives (sugar, oils and preservatives) that combine the value of honey, oats, peanut butter, tahini, red fruits and other superfoods," Eleni explains to me.

"We like to evolve but we don't want to do things that will change us as producers. What we want is to be on the mountain. No matter how much our products progress, we want to have healthy and strong beehives that we take care of ourselves.""We would never leave the mountain and our peace and quiet to go down to the city to do marketing," Vasilis points out."

For the greek article click HERE