Ilyas Özgül won a gold medal at England’s most prestigious competition for the honey he produced. (DHA)
Ilyas Özgül, a beekeeper from the Keşan district of Edirne, has won a gold medal in the polyflora (multi-flower) category at the 2026 London International Honey Awards.
Özgül, who worked in the finance sector for many years, established a small business bearing his own name in his hometown of Keşan in 2002 and began producing honey in the İspat Cami neighborhood.
The 57-year-old apiarist reads several sources and consults with foreign experts on honey making, adding that he has attended over 200 national and international conferences and, thanks to the Beekeepers’ Association, had the opportunity to observe how standard beekeeping is practiced in our country.
Özgül said that he used the knowledge he gained to establish his own boutique business and put what he learned into practice.
“Last March, I gave some of my honey to a friend. He, in turn, served it to a guest of his. That person happened to be a judge at the competition in London. They called me. Fifty-one samples were submitted to the preliminary round held in Istanbul. Only my honey qualified to advance directly to the competition without the need for preliminary laboratory analysis. Our honey won a gold medal in the polyflora category at the competition,” Özgül said.
He noted that by winning the gold medal, they had demonstrated the region’s local production potential and quality on an international level, and that it is a point of honor for both his business and for Türkiye.
