The Association’s 2026 annual honey show will be held at the Yorkshire Museum of Farming, Murton on Wednesday 14th October 2026.
Trophies
The Bill Bell cup will be awarded to the entrant with most points awarded in the Novice classes namely 1a, 2a and 3a.
The John Fuller Trophy will be awarded to the winner of Class 12
The David Gray Memorial Shield will be awarded for the best honey in the show.
The Johnston Shield will be awarded for the best exhibit in the show.
The Alf Race Memorial Cup will be awarded to the member with the most points in the show.
Schedule of classes.
- Class 1. Two matching jars Honey light clear.
- Class 1a. One jar Honey light clear. Novice.
- Class 2. Two matching jars Honey medium clear.
- Class 2a. One jar Honey medium clear. Novice.
- Class 3. Two matching jars Honey dark clear.
- Class 3a. One jar Honey dark clear. Novice.
- Class 4. One jar Honey naturally set. Not stirred.
- Class 5. One jar Honey soft set.
- Class 6. One jar Heather honey.
- Class 7. Jar of honey presented as for sale.
- Class 8. 8 oz. cut comb.
- Class 9. Dry mead.
- Class 10. Sweet mead.
- Class 11. Block of beeswax less than 1 lb.
- Class 12. Block of beeswax more than 1 lb.
- Class 13. Plain moulded beeswax candle. Minimum dimensions to be 1½ in diameter and 3″ high. (Excluding the wick).
- Class 14. Beeswax candle. Any shape or size or method of production.
- Class 15. One shallow frame suitable for extraction.
- Class 16. Honey cake made to the standard recipe.
- Class 17. Honey cake to your own recipe.
- Class 18. Any item made from Hive products please make sure entries are described and labelled correctly.
- Class 19. Any beekeeping related photograph.
- Class 20. Novice category see notes for details. 1 jar of any honey minimum weight of honey 227g
Notes for the classes
Classes 1 to 6 – To be in 1lb round squat honey jars.
Class 7 – Can be any shape or size.
Classes 9 and 10 – To be shown in 26 oz clear glass bottles of round section, with rounded shoulders. White flanged corks to be used.
Classes 11 and 12 – Moulds without a pattern are to be used.
Class 16 – The honey cake is to be made to the recipe below.
Class 17 – Honey cake to your own recipe. Please attach a list of Ingredients used when producing the cake as a precaution for any one with allergies.
Class 20 – This is a new class; exhibitors are limited to anyone who has not won a first prize in a honey class at any open Honey Show.
Plain Honey Cake standard recipe (for class 16)
Ingredients:
227g (8oz) self-raising Flour
113g (4oz) unsalted Butter
227g (8oz) Honey
2 Eggs (original size 3) (~ medium)
Pinch of Salt
Method:
- Cream the butter and honey together. Start oven to pre heat.
- Beat the eggs well, alternately adding sifted flour at intervals, and salt. Add a little milk if required.
- Bake in buttered deep 16.5-19.0cm (6½ to 7½”) round tin ~ 1¼ hours at ≤160°C, Gas Mark 2½ -3.
- Cooking temperatures and times given are guidelines only: you may find through practice and experience that the baking methods need adapting slightly to suit your own oven. Ovens to be pre-warmed to temperature prior to baking.
In practice “longer / slower / cooler” seems to work best: 140-150°C with a high / raised paper liner and use a Strong-tasting honey in preference.
General Notes
The Honey Show is open to paid up members of the York and District Beekeepers Association, for the fiscal year which commences on the 1st of October.
A novice is a person who has taken up beekeeping since the start of the previous year’s beekeeping season i.e. April 2024. The entrant with most points awarded in the Novice classes namely 1a, 2a and 3a will receive the Bill Bell cup.
Novices may also enter classes 4 to 19 on equal terms with experienced exhibitors.
Only one entry per person per class.
Candles entered in classes 13 and 14 may be lit at the judge’s discretion.
The honey and wax used in exhibits shall be from the exhibitors’ own bees.
Points will be awarded to prize winners thus:
3 points to the winner of each class, 2 points will go to second place and 1 point to third place.
The John Fuller Trophy will be awarded to the winner of Class 12
The Alf Race Memorial Cup will be awarded to the member with the most points. In the event of a draw, the member with the highest number of first places will be the winner.
The judge will decide on the best Honey in the show regardless of the class entered in and the winner will be awarded the David Gray Memorial Shield.
The Johnston Shield award for the best exhibit which will take account of all entries.
The judge’s decision will be final.
Entries will be accepted from 15.30 to 19.15 on Tuesday the 13th of October at Murton Park and it is expected that any late entries could be submitted in a short window on Wednesday the 14th but this will only be for an hour 15:30 to 16:30 as Judging will start by 17:00 hrs at the latest on the show day to ensure an early completion to coincide with the start of the bring and share buffet.