Without even really realizing it, we sometimes underestimate the importance of certain living species in our environment. Indeed, several organisms, including insects, contribute to the stability of the world. Did you know that this is particularly the case for bees? These provide many health benefits. Moreover, Four O'Clock has hives and is associated with MIEL MTL to produce honey. Do you want to know more about this? Here we go!
BEES: ESSENTIAL ON EARTH!
Overall, bees contribute to improving our quality of life. The latter participate in pollination, i.e. the transport of pollen from the male reproductive organs of plants to the female reproductive organs of plants to ensure their reproduction. Interestingly, when bees leave the hive to forage, they only visit one plant species per flight. It is understandable why their work is so beneficial, if not essential to the survival of many plant species. As we know, plants are at the heart of life on earth and in particular ensure the preservation of air quality in our environment.
In addition, the production of many fruits and vegetables depends on the work of bees, including lettuce, cranberries, cherries and more! Without bees, agriculture would certainly be negatively affected, hence the importance of taking care of the bees' living environments.
HONEY PRODUCTION: A REAL TEAM EFFORT
First of all, it is very interesting to look at the honey production process. The bees will collect nectar, a sweet liquid found in the flowers. Then they bring this substance back to their hive and produce the honey we love so much! This is a major team effort, since they share the nectar, mouth-to-mouth, to mix the nectar with their respective saliva to create the honey. It is therefore not surprising to note that the hive is a symbol of cooperation. Without collaboration, honey would not exist!
BENEFITS OF HONEY
In addition to its delicious taste, you will find many benefits to eating honey. It is a food high in antioxidants and is very favourable for lowering cholesterol. It is also good for digestion, as it would eliminate toxins in the intestine and be effective in reducing nausea. Indeed, the consumption of honey is a grandmother's trick used since time began to soothe heartburn!
Also, honey contributes to a healthier and more supple-looking skin. Using honey-based products in your daily beauty ritual can be very beneficial, especially if you want to keep your skin looking young. In short, keep in mind that there are many benefits of honey that you could enjoy. It's up to you to see which ones you're most interested in.
HONEY AND TEA: A DELICIOUS ALLIANCE
Adding honey to your favourite cup of tea can make a big difference in taste. With its sweet aromas, honey enhances the flavour of certain infusions. To integrate honey into your tea ritual, you can prepare your infusion as usual and add honey to your hot beverage before drinking it. Are you craving an iced tea? Honey can also be used to sweeten your tea or iced herbal tea! Another great benefit of honey.
If you enjoy this sweet ingredient, there are a few recipes for beverages that combine tea and honey. This is the case with London Fog, a hot beverage made with Earl Grey tea, honey, frothed milk and vanilla. We bet you'll be charmed by its comforting taste!
FOUR O'CLOCK'S COMMITMENT TO SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT
At Four O'Clock, sustainable development is at the heart of our values. It is essential for us to ensure coherence within our environmental initiatives. Moreover, our products are organic, do not contain genetically modified organisms (GMOs) and are fair trade.
If you would like to know more about Four O'Clock products, we suggest you take a look at the packages, which contain a lot of useful information. To this end, we use recycled cardboard for the packaging of our products, print with vegetable ink, not to mention that our tea bags are 100% compostable! For us, it is essential to ensure that our products are not harmful to the environment. Installing beehives directly behind Four O'Clock's offices in Saint-Bruno was a simple gesture that represents our corporate values.
THE FOUR O’CLOCK BEEHIVES
At Four O'Clock, we are very proud to have installed beehives near our offices! Each hive shelters an average of 50,000 bees. In fact, did you know that the lifespan of a bee is between two and six months, depending on the season? At Four O'Clock, more than 200,000 bees work alternately throughout the season! Impressive, isn't it?
In terms of honey production, Four O'Clock beehives produce between 30 and 130 jars of honey per year. In fact, the amount of honey produced depends on the colony, the number of bees, their personality and their characteristics. In general, the Saint-Bruno hives have three harvests and are favoured by an ecosystem with a very good diversity of flowers. In less diversified environments, there could be only one or even two harvests per year.
Keep in mind that several factors can influence honey production!
OUR PRECIOUS COLLABORATION WITH MIEL MTL
To support us in the production of honey, we benefit from the support of Miel MTL, an SME that aims to integrate bees into our living environment. The expertise of this company is very favourable to advise us on beneficial measures to be implemented for the well-being of bees. After all, 70 hives and 300 pots of honey produced annually is no small feat!
Dealing with various organizations and companies, MTL Honey produces between 7,000 and 10,000 jars in 36 regions and 18 neighbourhoods and cities around Montreal and Quebec City. We are very proud to support this initiative, which is very beneficial to the environment.
Remember that each cup of Four O'Clock tea contributes to the preservation of the environment and sustainable development. All you have to do is add a touch of honey to your favourite tea during your next relaxation break!