Buzzy Dishes — The Woodlands Resort’s Own Bees Add a Sweet Element to Back Table Kitchen’s New Menu

The Woodlands Resort executive chef Ricardo Bravo has 180,000 helpers buzzing around — honeybees. Bravo incorporates honey harvested from the resort’s three hives into many of his dishes. This year, the bees produced 180 pounds of pure, unfiltered honey during the July harvest.

Beekeeping on the resort paused during COVID-19, but made a return in February of 2023 thanks to Bravo’s initiative.

The hives, managed by Nadia Clark’s Pampered Beez, are located near Lake Harrison. Clark and her daughters Ally and Sofie harvested the honey earlier this summer. This nectar comes with quite a pedigree, with The Woodlands Resort’s honey winning several awards at the Texas Honey Show in 2023.

To collect the honey, the beekeepers removed half of the frames from each hive box and left the rest for the bees to use during winter. The harvested frames are spun to extract the honey. Its flavor reflects the local flora, particularly the Chinese tallow, giving the honey a mild, earthy taste that’s less sweet than typical varieties.

Clark and her daughters collected the honey just after the summer solstice to allow the bees time to prepare for winter. With the harvest complete, Clark focuses on ensuring the hives stay healthy. Her goal is to maintain enough food sources and a strong bee population for them to survive through winter. The hives at The Woodlands Resort are managed to maximize honey production while keeping the bees in good health.

Back Table Abuzz with Local Honey Creations

Chef Bravo features several menu items at the resort’s Back Table Kitchen & Bar restaurant that highlight local honey from this summer’s harvest. Those buzzy dishes include smoked brisket tacos, barbecue baby back ribs, Texas carrot cake and three pizzas — the Hawaiian, ultimate pepperoni and charcuterie pizzas.

The honey is also available for purchase at Spruce Market, a boutique at The Woodlands Resort that showcases local artisans. In addition to the resort honey, Spruce Market sells chocolates from Winfield’s Chocolate Bar and regionally produced olive oils among its curated Texas-sourced goods.

Texans receive 15 percent off any purchases Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 4 pm to 6 pm at Spruce Market. Show a valid Texas ID to claim the offer. For more information, go here.