History

The MEL MURIA company history is written in the annals of El Perelló (Low Ebro – Ebro Lands), knicknamed “the honey village”, as the premier honey producer in Catalonia both nationally and internationally acclaimed.

The first documented reference of the Muria lineage is Rafel Muria Muria Queralt.

Rafel Muria Llambrich was born in 1850 and son of the afore-mentioned.  He was the founder and president in 1888 of the first “Ligajo of Hives” (nowadays called association) with a total of 225 associates and 1.820 “declared hives.”

He was the first Perelló beekeeper that changed the old straw and cork hive for a square wooden hive, later to be called Layens. Using these hives transhumance was to begin.

Rafel Muria Galve, born in 1901, worked with bees as a teenager.  Owning 235 hives, he searched for the best flora in the farms and lands surrounding El Perelló. One of these particular farms belonged to Rafel Frauquero in the Vinyassa area of l’Ametlla de Mar and the Maestra Estate in Alcanar.

In 1929 Rafel Muria Benet was born. When he was only sixteen, his father made him responsible for all the work related to beekeeping. The hive of 20 frames was replaced by hives of 18, 16 and finally 12 frames still used. He was the first Perelló beekeeper to introduce this type of hive. He continued transhumance,

extending further throughout Catalonia, Teruel and Valencia. His transport gradually evolved from using a horse and cart, like his father, to motorcycle, train with bicycle and finally his own lorry.

Rafael Muria Martí, son of the afore-mentioned, was born in 1964.  Together with his brother-in-law Vicent Brull Llao, born in 1955, they have managed to continue their artisan work and boosted with new technologies, widening the path left by their predecessors. Today, they still continue dedicated to the family business.

With an eye for to progress, Vicent Brull Muria, son of Vicent Brull Llao, has joined the sixth generation, as partner in the firm, now called the “SAT” Apicola El Perelló.

In 1999, Mel Muria moved to the current premises, a 800m² wasehouse, located at the entrance of El Perello, in order to expand business and optimize production.  The location of the offices, the warehouse storing the drums of honey that come in from the hives, the automatic bottling plant where the honey is bottled, the finished product area, with the pots of honey ready to go to market as well as all the necessary machinery for the improvement of working conditions. We also have two stores, located in El Perelló and L’Ametlla de Mar, where we provide customers and visitors with a variety of honey produced and hand-packed by our company, as well as pollen and royal jelly. You can also buy health products, natural cosmetics, products from organic farming and all kinds of natural products.  On this website, our direct on-line storealso offers most of our products.

In 1999, on the premises, Mel Muria set up a visitor centre using the cultural heritage of the company, based on a set of beekeeping equipment from different areas and old tools used to work the honey.  There are several documents relating to the history of beekeeping in the Ebro Lands and the famous “honey fountain” or a swarm of bees in full activity.

In recent years, these facilities equipped with an audio-visual area, have significantly enhanced everything related to the world of honey. It is difficult to calculate, but we are certain that more than one hundred thousand people, of all ages, from all round the country and from different European countries have visited Mel Muria during the last twelve years and have participated in different activities organized by our company, among which the field visit to the hives is a highlight. A series of videos explaining the in tasks involved in beekeeping, about products that are extracted and the benefits of their regular consumption in our diet.

The process of adapting our facilities and our concept of beekeeping has been constant, as evidenced by the change of the Layens hives to the Dadant hives which helps to ease work of the beekeeper. In addition, we have recently acquired a suitable vehicle for changing hives and that is adapted to aid migratory processes being doted with various devices and technical equipment.  We have also acquired a 600 ^m2 warehouse located on the Solans

With the aim of promoting and publicizing, even more, all that surrounds the curious world of honey and bees, in 2011 our company has now created and brought into operation the Muria Apiarian Interpretation Center, an initiative arising from the enterprising and innovative spirit of the people who today make this company possible.

The creation of the Center has brought several improvements to the extraction equipment and honey-packing processes, with the purchase of the latest machinery.