BIMEL LTD is a manufacturing company that was created in 1998 with the intent to pool the thyme honey produced by local beekeepers in order to standardize the production of packaged products with the brand name of Hippocrates (in reference and reverence to the father of medicine), and promote the local production by highlighting the benefits of honey and developing a product range that would cover the needs of all palates. 52% of the company's shares are currently owned by the local government while the rest i.e. 48% in the hands of local producers.
The current manufacturing site is located in Antimachia but there are plans for it to move shortly some 3kms away in a modern facility with a large showroom. The honey is brought to the plant by the beekeepers and is tested individually to make sure each batch complies to the company's quality standards while the actual composition is also catalogued. The different batches are thoroughly mixed together thereby coming up with a uniform end product. The honey is filtered a total of three times so as to get rid of any impurities, bees or residues. One interesting thing to point out is that if you let the honey rest, dead bees and a lot of the residue tend to come up to the surface, and traditionally letting the honey rest was the actual standard purification method. Today, this method is used to some extent in combination with modern filtering systems which have been added to optimize the procedure and comply to modern day requirements. Once the mixture is complete, the honey is left to rest a few days and is then inserted in standardized packaging of glass (100g to 1 kg) or the larger tin containers. The product range also includes the amphora type of glass packaging and some more elaborate products like honey with nuts or the all new honey with honeycomb. Currently the company's products are only available on Kos island but the aim is to offer them in select outlets in Greece and across Europe. For more information you can always go to the company's site at http://www.vimel.gr/en/.
