It certainly feels like Spring here in the Mission; we’re finally selling more beverages than broths, more chips than pasta, and we just can’t keep Chicharrones around for more than a few days! The weather’s been beautiful, and we’re seeing the effects of it as our neighborhood is absolutely pulsing with energy. Another sure sign of Spring for us is the constant buzzing of bees in our back patio here at Bi-Rite. While it may make some people nervous, the moving bees tell us that we can be looking forward to our Rooftop Honey as we move into the summertime.

We’re lucky to have partnered with Robert MacKimmie from City Bees this year; he’s a talented beekeeper who has been nurturing San Francisco hives since 1996. He successfully relocated a swarm of bees onto our roof a few weeks ago (as seen in this crazy picture), and since then we’ve seen a ton of activity. Robert shared an update with me earlier this week, reporting that the bees are “building up and starting to bring in nectar,” meaning that we can expect our rooftop honey to be available before we know it. Robert excitedly told me that he’s seen more activity from his bees this year than the past several years, a great sign for our delicate local bee populations.

Robert has hives all over the city, with each location producing a uniquely flavored honey dependent on the flora surrounding the hives.  I had the opportunity to sample almost a dozen of his honeys a few weeks ago and was amazed by the striking variation in taste between the different locations.  We realized that we just had to carry his honey on our shelves, and are excited to bring in not only our Rooftop Honey, but several of his San Francisco varietals moving into the summer time. Look out for his amazing honeys hit our shelves in June!