Established in 1995, Mel Santa Maria (MSM) is a company specializing in organic honey.
Situated in Santa Maria de Émeres village in Valpaços, Trás-os-Montes region, the primary goal of MSM is to produce top-quality honey, aiming to evoke a sense of nature with each bottle of their product. Their honey production encompasses various types, including Chestnut, Heather and Rosemary honey.
Apiculturist: Rui Baptista
Originally a physical education teacher, his love of beekeeping and bees has always run parallel to his profession. Later, without a job, he decided to dedicate himself 100 percent to professional beekeeping and the development of organic honey.
Mel Santa Maria took its first steps with the appearance of a swarm at the Quinta do Paranho house in Santa Maria de Émeres in 1995. After being introduced into a hive, the swarm's work was monitored weekly with many hours of observation.
The taste of the bees grew and from one, the village grew to eleven hives. In 1996 they had the first production of honey, around 170kg. It was at this point that the idea arose to give their honey the same name as the village where it all began: Mel Santa Maria. Today, Rui has around 1,000 hives located in various parts of Trás-os-Montes at an altitude of over 800 metres.
MSM has garnered recognition through numerous national and international awards, achieving Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals in 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2023 at the Annual Honey Contest organized by FNAP - Federation National Beekeepers of Portugal. Through the consumption of this honey, you can immerse yourselves in the pure essence of Trás-os-Montes' natural surroundings.
