Competitions Episodes

Stephanie Slater explores how to prepare pollen for honey show competition. Learn what judges look for, how to collect, dry, clean, store, and present pollen, why color diversity matters, and how to achieve the proper fill level. Stephanie also shares lessons from her own competition experience and spotlights several upcoming fall honey shows.

Preparing extracted honey for competition may seem intimidating, but according to Stephanie Slater, success comes down to patience, attention to detail, and understanding what judges are really looking for. In this episode of Winning at Honey, Stephanie shares practical advice for preparing award-winning extracted honey—from bottling weeks in advance to achieving the proper fill level, eliminating bubbles, selecting matching jars, and avoiding common defects that cost exhibitors valuable points. She also explains how judges evaluate entries, what can disqualify an otherwise beautiful jar of honey, and why proper handling begins long before the honey reaches the extraction room. Stephanie is also joined by Brutz English, President of the American Honey Judges Association, who discusses the organization’s remarkable growth, upcoming governance changes, and his vision for expanding honey judging education throughout North America.

Stephanie Slater discusses preparing for the upcoming honey show season, shares major news about the new American Honey Judges Association, explains how Black Jar Honey Tasting Contests bring beekeepers together, and offers practical advice on one of the most overlooked keys to success in honey competitions: carefully reading the rules before entering.

Stephanie Slater shares expert tips on selecting and preparing jars for honey shows, along with updates on upcoming events and judging opportunities.

Honey show insights, black jar judging, and bee lab outreach from the University of Minnesota highlight this final Midwest Honey Bee Expo short.

The Midwest Honey Bee Expo is back—and bigger than ever. Jeff and Becky talk with organizers Bill Werning and Doug Koltermann about what's in store for the 2026 event, held February 6–7 at the Alliant Energy Center in Madison, Wisconsin. Following a sold-out debut in 2025, this year's expo expands into a larger venue featuring everything under one roof—vendors, speakers, workshops, and a connected hotel for attendee comfort. Bill and Doug share how they turned a regional need for practical, h...

The UK National Honey Show is the world’s largest and most prestigious honey show, drawing beekeepers and entries from across the globe. In this episode, Jeff and Becky talk with Bob Mauer, current chairman of the show, about its remarkable 102-year history, its roots at the Crystal Palace, and the traditions that have helped it grow into an international event. Bob shares how the show combines competitive honey judging with practical workshops, lectures from leading experts, and a vibrant tr...

In this episode of Beekeeping Today Podcast, certified honey judge Stephanie Slater joins Jeff and Becky to demystify the art and science of honey shows. From understanding how entries are judged to tips on preparing award-winning honey, Stephanie...

In this episode, Jeff and Becky are joined by Kamon Reynolds, the beekeeper behind the North American Honey Bee Expo. Kamon shares his journey from a young beekeeper to managing a full-time business and organizing a major beekeeping conference....

In this episode we're excited to introduce Anna, a Stanford University freshman and hobby beekeeper from Campbell, California. With a passion for honey bees and a background in engineering and science, Anna has embarked on an intriguing journey to...

In today’s episode, Jeff and Becky chat with Chris Hiatt, the President of the American Honey Producers Association (AHPA). AHPA, with a history dating back to its establishment in 1969, has been a cornerstone of the beekeeping community. Their...

On this week’s episode we welcome beekeeper, YouTube influencer and conference organizer Kamon Reynolds. provides viewers factual and entertaining looks at managing honey bees, product reviews and interviews. There are many different beekeeping...

On today's episode, we welcome Mary Duane and Eloise (Lou) Naylor of the Eastern Apicultural Society. EAS was founded in 1955 for the "promotion of bees, education of beekeepers, certification of Master Beekeepers and excellence in bee research. EAS...

Joining us this week is Northeast Ohio Beekeeper, Chris Bush. Chris was a contestant on an online series, kind of like - Survivor, meets SharkTank in Hell’s Kitchen. Chris took his honey and queen rearing business to compete against other companies...

One of the largest and perhaps oldest honey shows in the world in the UK’s National Honey Show. The first show opened in 1923 at the Crystal Palace, in London. While the National Honey Show took an understandable break during the second world war,...

The Effects of Pesticides, Caffeine & Tea Polyphenols on Honey Bees

Join us for our second episode on the 2022 Project Apis m and CostCo Scholarship Awards. Students who receive this PhD Scholarship award bring new energy, ideas, and expertise to the scientists on the leading edge of bee health research. The award...

First up on today’s podcast, Jeff talks with Maya Ajmera, CEO of the Society for Science who along with the pharmaceutical company Regeneron, host an annual science contest for high school seniors. Maya talks with Jeff about the contest and...

Last year, we talked with The Good Food Foundation about their annual honey contest . This year, we bring you four of the 15 finalists to talk about their entries and their beekeeping operation. Winners will be announced the week of the episode’s...