10th Annual Black Jar | 2021 Contest Results
This year’s Black Jar Contest was a success and the long-awaited Grand Prize for World’s Best Tasting Honey was respectfully awarded on June 3rd, 2021!
Congratulations to Hekenoa (head beekeeper at Manawa Honey NZ) for enduring the comprehensive judging and coming out on top in this year’s competition. It’s an impressive feat, and his name will grace the “World’s Best Tasting Honey” trophy until 2022 when a new champion may take his place.
Don’t forget this is an annual process. We have already received entries for next year. As the contest grows, so does the Grand Prize. Cash awards are funded by the $10 entry fee and sale of the unopened labeled honeys. This year’s 10th International Black Jar Grand Prize went from $3500 in 2020 to $5000 in 2021!
The Black Jar event which is usually held in the Grand Ballroom of the Renaissance Hotel in downtown Asheville was held in a smaller space this year due to Covid precautions. Thirty special guests gathered in an intimate space enjoying food, drinks, music, and honey tastings, while judges savored the honey entries and chose the winners in ten judging categories. Since the honey jars were covered in black cloth during the judging process, the categories and results were not revealed until the judging was completed.
- Grand Prize: Hekenoa (Taawi) Te Kurapa, Ruatahuna, New Zealand
- U.S.A.: Stephanie Slater, Elkhorn, Wisconsin
- Middle East: Ubeydullah Subasi, Hizan, Turkey
- Europe: Diego Tejedor, Cantabria, Spain
- Far World: Simeon and Paul Valkenburg, Balhannah, S. Australia
- South America: Fabricio Mattio , Saltro, Uruguay
- Africa: Nathalie Imanashimwe, Muhanga, Rwanda
- Far North: Sandra Lagace, Cathcart, Ontario, Canada
- Mediterranean: Gokhan Aydogdu, Ida Mountains, Turkey
- Creamed Honey: Celio H.M. da Silva, (Prodapys) Santa Catarina, Brazil
- Dark Honey: Pa John Ticha, Zang-Tabi Mbengwi, Cameroon, Africa
- U.S.A.: Eugene Zuspan, Dos Palos, California
- U.S.A.: Maria Ruby, Naples, Florida
- Middle East: Gokhan Aydogdu, Istanbul, Turkey
- Middle East: Yael Farbstein, Kedumim, Israel
- Europe: Robert Andrews, Donegal, Ireland
- Europe: Augustin Uvacik, Czech Republic
- Far World: Hekenoa (Taawi) Te Kurapa, Ruatahuna, New Zealand
- Far World: Hekenoa (Taawi) Te Kurapa, Ruatahuna, New Zealand
- South America: Celio H.M. da Silva, Ararangua, Brazil
- South America: Celio H.M. da Silva, Ararangua, Brazil
- Africa: Olivier Laurent, Manakara, Madagascar
- Africa: Pa John Ticha, Cameroon, Africa
- Far North: Mark Soehner, Calgary, Alberta, Canada
- Far North: Jennifer Frazier, Homer, Alaska
- Mediterranean: Giovanni Gargano, Bari, Italy
- Mediterranean: Filippou Menelaos, Larnaka, Cyprus
- Creamed: Eugene Zuspan, Dos Palos, California
- Dark Honey: Gokhan Aydodgu, Mt. Ida, Turkey
- Dark Honey: Celio H.M. da Silva, Arangua, Brazil