Adding Deliciousness To Texas Kitchens

ADDING DELICIOUSNESS TEXAS TO

KITCHENS

by Leena Duwadi | photos courtesy of Goober Bub’s

Many years ago, while Tim Sutton was mowing around a peach tree, he came within two feet of a huge swarm of bees. That was his first encounter with bees which he found so fascinating. It further made him curious to explore these pollinators. Watching bees gather pollen and nectar from his blackberry plants triggered his fondness for beekeeping. Today, Tim is a famous beekeeper in Denton with more than 20 colonies of bees that are spread over four bee yards in Argyle, north of Roanoke, and outside of Gainesville. Tim says, “The honey bee part of Goober Bub’s started in the spring of 2015 with a purchase of the first colony of bees. I lost my first colony of bees over the winter and had to start over again in 2016.”

Under their brand, Goober Bub’s, Tim, his wife Jeanna, and the whole family are very much dedicated to serving Texans with pure and unadulterated honey extracted from local honeybees. The family has 60 pecan trees at their place that have been planted over the last 20 years and blackberry plants for almost 15 years. According to Tim, the great thing about having beehives in multiple locations is that the nectar and pollen sources are different which results in honey with unique colors and flavors. All of the honey they produce is extracted from the wooden frames, and packaged and labeled at their house by the family and friends. Honey harvest is done twice per year. Tim further says, “We hope to have our first harvest this year sometime in June, but is really dependent on the timing of the primary nectar flow that usually happens in north Texas from midMay through late June or early July – the timing and quantity of nectar is really dependent on the weather.”

Tim’s family is also a part of the Real Texas HoneyTM program, which is a Texas non-profit organization that promotes honey 100% produced by honey bees in the state. As per the program’s law, participants have to ensure that the honey that is sold displaying the Real Texas HoneyTM seal is pure and is made by honey bees in Texas by local beekeepers. The majority of the customers consuming Goober Bub’s honey are locals. They love the uniqueness of local flavor produced out of local nectar and pollen sources. Goober Bub’s also supplies pecans and blackberry jam produced under their brand.

While Tim and his wife Jeanna are the backbone of the business, their son Lance and daughter Bailey are equally helping parents wholeheartedly. They all have a very close emotional connection to the brand name. The name was created as the mash-up of two grandpa names Goober and Bub. Bub is the grandpa nickname of Tim and Goober was Annie’s other grandfather. Annie is the daughter of Lance and Joy. Goober was Tim’s daughter-in-law’s dad who had ordered a colony of bees along with Tim. Goober Bub’s has a unique logo with a family story attached to it. The character on the logo is Tim’s father-in-law, Gene Hartman. Gene is a very long-time Denton resident and was a barber in Denton for 60 years before his retirement a couple of years ago. “Gene gave me my first dozen pecan trees as a Christmas gift almost 20 years ago,” said Tim.

Tim and Jeanna take pride in feeding locals real Texas honey - raw and unfiltered, pure, natural, and the sweetest. “If anyone wants to know where Goober Bub’s honey comes from, they can take a look at some of the local beehives,” says Tim. He has a full-time job, and bees, honey, pecans, and blackberries are all activities that he’s very passionate about, which he thinks are a great escape from work. Jeanna is a beloved long-serving AHS teacher. The couple has lived in Argyle for over 27 years now.

For more information visit Facebook.com/ gooberbubs. Thanks to Suttons for adding extra deliciousness in Texas kitchens!