The Honey Man of Clarendon checks one of his bottles. - photos by Norman Grindley/Deputy Chief Photographer

It's six o'clock on a Friday morning and a short, slim man in his 60s is standing by the side of the Bustamante Highway in Clarendon, arranging some bottles on a wooden stall. As vehicles whiz by, the man starts to move faster.

"Dem come out early dis morning man," he mutters to himself.

This is the Honey Man of Clarendon. If you've ever driven along the Bustamante Highway, you probably have seen him before. He's the one with the biggest, most well-stocked stall on that stretch of road, which by now is known as one of the best places to get honey.

"Mi come out early a morning time. As cock crow mi haffi out yah, for people travel all hours and dem want dem honey," he said when photographer Norman Grindley and I paid him a visit recently.

By six o'clock every morning the Honey Man is at his stall and ready to serve his customers. This is what he has been doing for the better part of 30 years.

Used to buy and sell

"When mi first start to sell honey, mi used to buy and sell. One big drum used to cost few shilling. Today, is all $8,000 fi di same sinting," he said, looking upset about the situation. "That mean dat when mi used to sell di honey fi some small change first time, now mi haffi raise it to all $500 fi di big bottle."

The Honey Man lives in a small house near to the spot that his stall has been for several years. He mentioned something about one of his sons, so we asked him how many children he has. He paused for a moment.

"Well, more than 12," he finally muttered, seeming unsure of the exact number.

"Bwoy mi is a old man now, near 70 now, and di honey not selling like how it used to, so mi kinda a slow down now. Mi last pickney is 10 and live a foreign," he chuckled as he spoke. "Hee, hee, a di honey mek mi so strong," he joked.

Now the Honey Man doesn't just sell honey. He's willing and always ready to give a lecture on the commodity to any and everyone who stops to purchase a bottle from him.

"Yes, man, mi haffi tell di customer dem how dem can use di honey. Many people come buy honey and plan to use it fi one reason, but I make dem know what and what dem can do with it. When mi done reel off the list a things what honey is good for, like sinus and headache, di people dem frighten," he said.

The Honey Man is also a stickler for quality.

"If di honey not good, mi rather dash it weh and take a loss dan fi sell mi customer dem. People always believe that when the honey have a dark colour, it mean dat the honey is good. But I make dem know that di better honey is the one dat have a golden colour. When it dark, it only mean dat is some different kinda bees make dat honey. Di clear one mean that is the same kinda bees," he explained. "I out here half of my life selling honey, people trust mi now, so I can't go sell a man a bad bottle, it ago look bad pan me."

As he was speaking, a white car pulled up to his stall. A man jumped out. "Honey Man, what a gwaan?" the man shouted. "Yes, young man. I soon come to you, I doing a interview about honey. Just hold a seat and I soon be with you," the Honey Man said.

Best honey

The customer didn't say anything after that and seemed quite content to wait. "Yes now. As I was saying, I am di real honey man and just like this youngster, people know that when dem come to me dem get only di best honey. I only deal wid di real thing," he said.

With that, we let the Honey Man of Clarendon go back to what he does best, and what he seems to love doing more than anything else. After bidding us farewell, the man walked over to his waiting customer. "Yes now, let mi tell you something else about honey," I heard him say to the man as we drove off.