Certified organic apiary in Ulm: natural organic honey, beeswax products and honey specialties made by hand
Bio-Imkerei Bienesto – Bentner und Schmid GbR
UlmNew on Amplifa
About the Organic Apiary Bienesto
The organic apiary Bienesto is an organically certified beekeeping operation (DE-ÖKO-006) founded in 2018 in Ulm. Founded by beekeepers Uwe Bentner and Christian Schmid, an industrial engineer and a biologist/nature photographer respectively, the business keeps bee colonies with extensive beekeeping and natural comb building. The products include natural, unfiltered and unheated organic honeys from regional multiflora nectar (blossom honey, summer honey, forest honey) as well as hand-stirred honey blends with natural organic ingredients such as lemon, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric, raspberry, cocoa or propolis. The portfolio also includes hand-poured beeswax candles and tea lights, beeswax wraps made of organic cotton and pine resin, organic mead, oxymel and natural cosmetics. Processing takes place in small batches by hand: extraction with a hand-operated honey extractor, filtration through a double sieve, gentle creaming at a maximum of 40 °C and filling into reusable jars. Sales are made via the company's own online shop with plastic-free shipping as well as through regional shops in Ulm and the surrounding area.
- Site
- Ulm
- Processes
- Honey extraction (honey harvest with a hand-operated extractor), Creaming of honey (gentle stirring at max. 40 °C), Manual filling of honey into jars, Production of beeswax candles (hand-poured in own candle manufactory), Production of beeswax wraps (handcraft, organic cotton with beeswax, pine resin), Mead/honey wine production (traditional fermentation, 9 months of maturation), Oxymel production (ferment of honey and apple cider vinegar, multi-week extraction), Online shop with shipping (DHL, Hermes, Deutsche Post)
- Materials
- Organic honey, Beeswax (organic), Organic cotton, Pine resin, Stainless steel (filling container), Organic cotton (OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS)
- Certificates
- Organic certification DE-ÖKO-006, DE-ÖKO-006 (organic certification), OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (beeswax wrap cotton), GOTS (beeswax wrap cotton)
- Founded
- 2018
- Industries
- Food (honey & bee products), Natural cosmetics/soaps, Candles/beeswax products, Gift items
- 01
Beekeeping (extensive, natural comb building)
- 02
Honey harvest: uncapping by hand
- 03
Extraction with a hand-operated honey extractor
- 04
Filtration through a double sieve
- 05
Settling in the stainless steel filling container
- 06
Creaming at max. 40 °C (for creamed varieties)
- 07
Manual filling into reusable jars
- 08
Plastic-free shipping
Ingredients and Raw Materials
Organic honey
The basis of all products; unfiltered, unheated, from regional multiflora nectar in small batches.
Beeswax (organic)
Raw material for hand-poured candles, tea lights, wicks and beeswax wraps.
Organic cotton (OEKO-TEX Standard 100, GOTS)
Backing material of the handmade beeswax wraps.
Pine resin
Component of the beeswax wraps for improved adhesion.
Stainless steel (filling container)
Food-grade container for collecting and settling the honey after extraction.
Location
Ulm
DEBeekeeping, production, filling and online shop shipping (no retail shop)
- Lot size
- Small batches
- Materials
- Organic honey, beeswax, organic cotton
- Hand-operated honey extractor
- Double sieve for honey filtration
- Candle manufactory (hand casting)
Products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honey extraction (honey harvest with a hand-operated extractor)Other | – | – | – | small batches | Honey, Beeswax |
| Creaming of honey (gentle stirring at max. 40 °C)Other | – | – | – | – | Honey |
| Manual filling of honey into jarsOther | – | – | – | – | Honey, Glass |
| Production of beeswax candles (hand-poured in own candle manufactory)Other | – | – | – | – | Beeswax |
| Production of beeswax wraps (handcraft, organic cotton with beeswax, pine resin)Other | – | – | – | – | Organic cotton, Beeswax, Pine resin |
| Mead/honey wine production (traditional fermentation, 9 months of maturation)Other | – | – | – | small batches | Honey |
| Oxymel production (ferment of honey and apple cider vinegar, multi-week extraction)Other | – | – | – | – | Honey, Apple cider vinegar, Rose hips |
2 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hand-operated honey extractor | – | 1 | – | – | Ulm |
| Double sieve (coarse honey filtration) | – | 1 | – | – | Ulm |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and Certification
All honeys are certified under the EU Organic Regulation (DE-ÖKO-006) and are filled by hand unfiltered, untreated and without heating; the beekeeping follows ecological guidelines with natural comb building.
| Evidence | Ulm |
|---|---|
| DE-ÖKO-006 (organic certification) | |
| OEKO-TEX Standard 100 (beeswax wrap cotton) | |
| GOTS (beeswax wrap cotton) |
History
- 2018
Foundation of the apiary Bienesto (06.06.2018); first two bee colonies by Uwe Bentner; first Ulm honey in autumn 2018
- 2018
Website with contact page online
- 2019
Launch of the online shop as well as bee and blossom sponsorships