“Sri Lanka has bee honey?”
We heard that question more than any other during three days at Global Food Week 2026, held at ADNEC Abu Dhabi from 6 to 8 October. By the end of the week, we had a new favourite answer: a spoonful.
Our first international trade fair
Global Food Week was Goodfolks’ first-ever international trade fair. It was facilitated by the Sri Lanka Embassy in the UAE and supported by the Export Development Board. We are grateful to both for opening the door.
We were doubly lucky. Our stall at the Sri Lanka Pavilion carried our gluten-free, plant-based range, built for health- and wellness-minded buyers:
- herbal and wellness teas
- unique coconut products
- kithul treacle, jaggery and flour
- handpicked Sri Lankan spices
We were also selected for one of the event’s key highlights: the Global Honey Tasting Bar.
Sri Lankan honey, alongside the world’s finest
At the tasting bar, Sri Lankan bee honey stood alongside some of the most celebrated honeys on earth. Sidr from the Middle East. Emirati honey. Manuka from New Zealand. Stingless-bee honey from Thailand. Rare varieties from across Africa. Across the event, hundreds of honey brands and close to a thousand honey products were on show.
We weren’t there to compete with any of them. Each of these honeys carries the story of its own land and its own people. We came to add Sri Lanka’s story to that table, and to have it recognised on equal terms.
The Regional Bee Honey Collection
We presented our Regional Bee Honey Collection, shaped by regenerative, home-garden agriculture. Each honey reflects the forage of its region and season:
- Dark, from the wild and intense Dry Zone. Bold and deep.
- Amber, from the hills and mountains of Uva. Fruity and bright.
- Gold, from the lush wet zone of Sabaragamuwa. Buttery-smooth, and a rare harvest.
All three were available in 400g, 150g and 60g jars, alongside our Heritage Ayurveda Blends, which combine Sri Lankan bee honey with Ceylon cinnamon, ginger, garlic and goraka.
“Yes, Sri Lanka has bee honey”
Our answer to the question we heard most was a proud yes.
For thousands of years, bee honey has been a cornerstone of Hela Vedakama, Sri Lanka’s indigenous medicine tradition and one of the world’s oldest. Our ancestors relied on it to stay healthy and well. It reflects a deep bond between our people and nature, and a lasting instinct to protect the forests and flowers the bees depend on.
The best answer, though, came on people’s faces. We watched some of the world’s most honey-savvy tasters move from the intensity of Dark, to the fruit of Amber, to the smoothness of Gold. Big eyes. Big smiles.
And our new packaging, featuring a map of Sri Lanka marking each honey’s home region, became a talking point of its own. If the event had an award for best in show, we like to think it would have been in the running.
Why this matters
Since our first day, our goal has been to give Sri Lankan bee honey the same global standing as Ceylon Tea and Ceylon Cinnamon.
That work is far from done. Sri Lankan honey still needs national backing: quality monitoring, independent research into its traditional value, and a clear place in the country’s export story. There have been many days when the road felt long.
This week rekindled our fire. We saw validation, not in a certificate, but in the reactions of people who know honey better than almost anyone.
Walk this road with us
We’re looking for partners who can help make Sri Lanka’s Regional Bee Honey Collection a global name, and a lasting export earner for the rural communities who form the backbone of our export industry. That includes buyers, distributors, researchers, universities, institutions and investors.
If that’s you, get in touch at connect@goodfolks.shop.
To everyone who supported this journey, thank you. Most of all, thank you to the trees, the flowers and the bees.
