“Our breakfast guests love the blossom honey from Jörg Hesselbach,” says Norman Pontzen, head chef at the New CAPITOL in Bad Berleburg. Jörg Hesselbach, a retired postal worker, is a passionate beekeeper who knows the quality of his pure, natural honey from Wittgenstein. He has been running his beekeeping operation in Bad Berleburg-Elsoff for more than 20 years and now keeps around 20 bee colonies.
He produces two varieties: a creamy, stirred blossom honey and a liquid honey, ideal as a healthy addition to muesli or for cooking. Liquid honey is a versatile sugar substitute, perfect for sauces, marinades, and baking.
In addition, honey contains valuable trace elements and minerals. His honey, produced at an altitude of 500 meters, is completely natural. “This also applies to the honey of my fellow beekeepers in Wittgenstein,” emphasizes Hesselbach. In this region, neither rapeseed nor corn is cultivated with pesticide use, meaning the bees are not exposed to these substances through nectar.
Jörg Hesselbach harvests his honey in spring and summer: after the winter period, bees collect nectar and pollen from early blossoms to rebuild their colonies and produce the first, often light and creamy honey. “In summer, our region offers bees a wonderful variety of plants.”
In addition to his bees, Hesselbach dedicates his time to his large vegetable garden, fruit trees, and free-range chickens and sheep. “I haven’t quite achieved my goal of being completely self-sufficient in food production,” he admits with a smile. The reason is simple: “I’m a terrible beer brewer,” the 60-year-old laughs. His attempt at brewing beer didn’t succeed, but he enjoys his homegrown vegetables, herbs, chanterelles, and mushrooms gathered from the forest.
Jörg Hesselbach supplies his blossom honey to the New CAPITOL, where Norman Pontzen values the quality of this natural product. This also pleases Hesselbach, who appreciates the use of sustainable and regional ingredients in the kitchen of the New CAPITOL.
His honey is available in Bad Berleburg at the New CAPITOL, at Metzgerei Müller, Grobbels Kaffeebar, and at the organic store Grüne Wiese.
Contact: Jörg Hesselbach, Am Hain 13, Bad Berleburg-Elsoff
Phone: +49 2755 88153 or mobile: +49 175 9287885