Today I shift from the seaside to the hills of St Elizabeth and into the home of Jason and Laura Henzell, where Liz Solm’s 7th Pedro Plains farm to table dinner was held. This particular dinner was extra special as it was honey-inspired. The guest chef was Robin Lim Lumsden of Belcour in the Blue Mountains, a bee-keeper and producer of artisanal pepper sauces, chutneys, jams and preserves along with her husband Michael. The special guest was Cerise Mayo, a dynamic foodie from New York City who specialises in urban agriculture, is director of a farmers’ market, a cookbook author, and a member of Slow Food. Another wonderful personality present was St Elizabeth bee-keeper Christopher Parchment. Each had an amazing history to share with us.

Normally the dinners are held on Farmer Dool’s land, but due to the inclement weather, we were shuttled to the Henzell home — a warm and inviting house overlooking the stunning vista of the Pedro Plains. This area produces 80% of Jamaica’s food. Fortunately, despite the drizzle, our eyes feasted upon a magnificent sunset as we enjoyed our welcome drink — chilled flutes of Prosecco courtesy of Wray and Nephew’s Raihn Sibblies, and local chevre (goat cheese) served with Belcour’s tomato and sorrel chutneys as well as mini St Elizabeth crab cakes on local arugula with Belcour honey pepper jam.

As we nibbled on these tasty hors d’oeuvres, Laura Henzell welcomed us to her home on behalf of her family and told us to treat it like it was our home. Laura’s warm greeting set the tone for the rest of the evening as indeed it felt like a bunch of old friends having dinner together on the long communal table, despite the range of nationalities present. Liz Solms, the mastermind of this initiative, invited Robin, Cerise and Chris to introduce themselves and their raison d’être: immersion into the life of the honeybee. Many of us take honeybees for granted, but our fragile eco-systems owe so much to this magnificent insect.

Robin shared how her honey’s unique flavour is representative of the magnificent eco-diversity of the Blue Mountain region. Citrus, guava, mango and other fruits grown in the area are reflected in the pollen and the end result, her artisanal honey. Robin likes to cook with what she grows, which led her to producing her delicious condiments. Each of her products has Blue Mountain honey at its base. She explained that each course we were about to eat was sourced from the fishermen and farmers of the Pedro Plains accompanied by her products, which reflect her local region, the Blue Mountains. A perfect marriage of Jamaican bounty and 100% local, all perfectly in tune with Liz’s vision as an agronomist by promoting home grown fare.

A resident of Red Hook, Brooklyn, an industrial area, Cerise shared with us the amusing story of how her honey’s cherry flavour is the result of a maraschino cherry factory being nearby, a place her honeybees became so attracted to and that she had to reach a compromise with the owner of the factory who was alarmed by their frequent trips to his place of business. She also has an apiary on Governor Island which is a tiny island in between Manhattan and Brooklyn. Cerise stressed the importance of urban agriculture, that living in a city is no excuse not to grow your own food in limited spaces, and demonstrated to us through her livelihood that it is indeed possible. Her honey was reddish in hue and pleasing to the eye. It was beautifully presented in glass tubes inserted into mini wooden crates and was alongside our local honey for a tasting.

Chris is a trained firefighter who does not like to be idle, so he grows tomatoes, melons, cucumbers and bananas in his spare time. However, bee-keeping is in his blood as his grandfather began working in this field in 1933. An active member of the Bee Farmers’ Association, he gives workshops and lectures on the subject matter. He encourages young people to go into bee farming because although expensive to start, it becomes more profitable later. He shared that one should not be scared about being stung, as bee stings, unless you are allergic, are good for you. Chris joked that whenever any of his hives are giving trouble, he asks his wife to speak to the bees as she is “sweeter than a honeycomb”. He shared that farmers in St Elizabeth are dependent on bees as they accounted for 60% of the pollination that took place. Logwood, which St Elizabeth is famous for, is loved by bees as it is sweet and flowery. Chris proudly told us about an international honey competition in Germany where the St Elizabeth bee farmers won first prize.

During the dinner, while enjoying my zucchini bisque, I sat beside Jason Henzell, owner of Jake’s. He shared with us the sustainable movement taking place in the area. The Greater Treasure Beach Development Plan which covers areas like the ones I mentioned in this column last week plus Galleon Beach and Malcolm Bay, essentially the region from the Great Pedro Bluff to Black River and including areas like Parotee, is being managed by an NGO through BREDS. They have received a Canadian grant of US$268,000 and another local grant of US$150,000 to create long-term sustainable goals in the next 2 1/2 years to preserve the area’s unique heritage and environment. The plan is to become a model for low density and sustainable tourism.

Listening to all of this good news in between mouthfuls of Robin’s grilled honey jerked filet steak shish kebabs, honey mustard baked lobster with pineapple, alfredo ackee pasta with callaloo, and eggplant gratin further heightened the pleasure of the meal which was paired with Sauvignon Blanc and Chianti. We ended the meal with lemon cheesecake topped with Belcour Guava Preserves, fresh fruits drizzled with local honey and aromatic Twyman’s Blue Mountain Coffee.

This is community unity at work in our hands, in our hearts and in our stomachs: hope for our beloved island that I believe will spread to other areas whose residents can be inspired and encouraged to follow suit. By protecting our livelihoods and precious environment, we can preserve our natural wonders for future generations to enjoy in Jamaica, land we love.

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Bon Appétit!