2025 Hawaiian Honey Challenge Rules & Instructions

Purpose and Mission of Honey Challenge

• Help our State of Hawai’i beekeepers in producing a quality product and a consistent pleasing presentation of it. 

• Increase the public’s awareness of, not only the wide variety of honey available in our local areas, but about what they can do to help the honeybees. 

• Offer beekeepers a platform for recognition of their work. 

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Who can enter ?

• All beekeepers in the state of Hawai’i, regardless of size of operation, who follow the rules of this contest. 

 

Honey Samples Rules

• Honey samples must be harvested within the past 12 months and bottled by the contestant from their own apiary located in the state of Hawai’i. 

• No heat may be used in the extracting or bottling process. 

• No additives, seeding, flavoring or blending of honeys may be used.

• Honey may be “strained” (strainer mesh size no smaller than 200 microns). 

• Honey should not be processed in any way such as “creaming," “spinning," “churning," “blending” or other manipulations.

• Limit of one entry per honey category listed below, with a maximum of five entries total

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** Light, Medium and Dark will be determined by the Jack’s scale color grader. Enter your sample on what category you think your honey is. Final entry category will be determined by BIBA at BIBA’s discretion.

 

How should I submit my honey samples ? 

• All entries are to be submitted in a plain, one-pint wide mouth canning jar (Ball, Kerr, Mason) with metal lid and ring (no rusty rings please) for each category.

• All liquid and solid honey samples must fill the jar to within ½ inch of the jar lid. 

• The comb sample must be a single, rectangle piece that when placed in a wide mouth pint jar it will stand on end and fit the width of the jar. No additional liquid honey should be added. All comb samples should be submitted in two jars to ensure that it survives two rounds of judging. **Submitting only 1 jar of comb sample drastically decreases your chance of placing in the People's Choice.** 

      Important: All comb entries must be frozen for a minimum of 48 hours. If bugs are found, the entry will risk disqualification.

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What should I include when submitting my entry ? ​

• Print out entry form here

• Entry fees are $15 per entry. Pay fees either by mailing in a check payable to Big Island Beekeepers Association or pay online here

• If you are mailing in your entries, pack your jars and include your completed entry form. It is advisable to wrap your jars in plastic bags and before securing, with plenty of padding before shipping. To save on shipping cost, use pirateship.com for discounted rates. 

• Mail your entries to:

                                  Big Island Beekeepers Association​

                                  Hawaiian Honey Challenge

                                  P.O. Box 366

                                  Papaikou HI 96781-0366

• If you're dropping off your entries at a drop off location on the Big Island, submit your jars along with a completed entry form.

• All entries must be submitted with entry form and payment (either check or online)

• All entries must be received no later than Friday, October 17, 2025

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Where are the local drop off locations on the Big Island ? 

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• ​Big Island Meadery

     16-313 Shipman Road

     Keaau, HI 96749

     Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 am to 6:00 pm

     **Drop off only between Tuesday, October 7, 2025 to Friday, October 17, 2025**

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• The Locavore Store
  333 Kilauea Ave #103
  Hilo, HI 96720
  Monday - Friday 9:00 am to 7:00 pm
  **Drop off only between Monday, October 13, 2025 to Friday, October 17, 2025**
   

• Kamana Senior Center

     127 Kamana St

      Hilo, HI 96720

      **Drop off only during meeting BIBA's October Monthly meeting on Tuesday, October 14th, 2025 between 6pm-8pm**

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How will my honey samples be judged ? 

• All entries will be assigned and identified by a random number for both the formal judging and informal taste test

• All entries will be classified as multi-floral for the purpose of the competition

• A formal judging will be conducted by a panel of judges selected for their honey and/or culinary expertise and based on points scored by the judges in a formal, blind tasting event a 1st, 2nd and 3rd place will be awarded in each category. Formal judging will be conducted on Saturday, October 25th, 2025.

• An informal taste testing will be conducted by the general public to determine the People’s Choice and the top scoring in each category will be awarded 2025 People’s Choice. The 1st, 2nd and 3rd place winners will be receiving a certificate. People’s Choice taste testing will be conducted on Friday, November 7th, 2025, at the Mokupāpapa Discovery Center, 76 Kamehameha Ave, Hilo (corner of Kamehameha and Waianuenue Ave) between 5:30pm and 8:30pm.

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