Zdenka in Matttew and Ross & Brown frames
Under St. Michael's Gate sits the honey shop CERA MEL, run by Zdenka with her husband and children.
13. October 2025, Author: Barbara Garaj, Photo: Jakub Čaprnka
Bees and the scent of beeswax have been with Zdenka since childhood and are now an inseparable part of her life. That's why every candle and every bottle of mead holds not just honest work, but a piece of her heart as well.
Zdenka grew up in Moravia, but when she was six, the family moved to Slovakia, where her father came from. She always spent summers with her grandfather, a passionate beekeeper who introduced her to the secrets of the craft. After her grandfather's death, her father took over the bees and the family tradition carried on.
When Zdenka met her husband Dušan, she had no idea he'd also grown up surrounded by bees. They even got their first 12 hives as a wedding gift from his uncle, a master beekeeper from Čierna Voda. After his uncle's death, another 150 hives came their way – and by then they were already taking their two small children along.
As the number of hives grew, so did their experience and responsibilities. After the revolution, though, new possibilities opened up – they no longer had to hand over their honey to the state enterprise but could sell it themselves.
One day, Zdenka's husband decided to quit his job and devote himself to beekeeping full-time. It was a bold step that brought a lot of uncertainty, but also the beginning of their new path.
Before diving into business, Zdenka worked as a pediatric nurse. During maternity leave she studied to become a teacher and never went back to healthcare. Teaching gave her space to develop her artistic interests and creativity, which she now pours into working with bees and beeswax.
After each season, Dušan educated himself at seminars on honey processing. He'd bring home not just new knowledge but also inspiration for Zdenka. Once, one of the instructors invited them to his house – while he discussed bees with Dušan, his wife showed Zdenka how to work with beeswax. That's where her first candles were born, which she later proudly presented to colleagues at an open lesson.
At first, candles were made only in the kitchen. The first order came through an embassy, where she'd been invited to present Slovakia. The real turning point came when they received a massive order from UNICEF – over 20,000 pieces. They worked on it for nine months and the whole family pitched in. The candles went out into the world and were so successful they made thousands more.
"In Slovakia at that time, everything was new, markets were still in their infancy. We were a great group and had enormous enthusiasm for bees and production. We were the only ones going around Slovakia with honey and candles. We didn't even see it as a job, but as a hobby."
A friend arranged her first stall at the Christmas market in the Old Town Hall. Zdenka took unpaid leave, stood in the bitter cold all day, diligently wrote orders in a notebook, and came home frozen. The children helped with supplies too, bringing candles to the market after school.
"When I came home from the markets in the evening, my husband would be waiting with a shot of propolis. I'd drink hot tea, warm up in the bath, rest a little, and then go back to rolling candles. At first it was just me, but once I taught the kids, they earned money rolling candles during summer holidays."
The friend saw great potential in Zdenka and dragged her to fairs and craft markets. When she once collapsed from exhaustion, it was clear she was saying goodbye to teaching. So outside the Christmas season she sold at the Old Market Hall and learned the basics of business, which at that point she already had in her pinky.
Gradually the seller became an organizer. In the courtyard of the Old Town Hall, she prepared cultural programs, decorations, stall layouts, while still manning her own stall. She organized the Christmas markets for a wonderful 19 years.
Since her husband never had an entrepreneurial spirit, Zdenka took over running the business. Besides candles, baking gingerbread, and making mead, what she enjoys most is designing new packages that eventually make their way to the shop under St. Michael's Gate.
As the bees multiplied, they had to spread them across four different locations. They once cared for up to 350 hives; today 60 is more than enough. Their farm with a rose garden is in Choča, where most of the production happens.
Zdenka shuttles between the farm and the shop. Her son handles marketing and new products, her daughter takes care of the e-shop, customer communication, and purchasing components. Dušan found his place with the bees and filling honey jars. In their family, everyone knows what to do, and that's where the strength of CERA MEL lies.
Zdenka came to ZITA thanks to a recommendation from her son Filip and his friend, who visited our optician's first. At the eye exam she got to know Zitka and they spent the first hour talking about bees and gardens.
"The fitting and service at the table at ZITA is like what we have. You put your heart into it and that's important in business and in how you approach customers. When you offer a product and service with it, you should always look for a way for both sides to be happy. But you can't do business without heart. You have to put your soul into it."
Two pairs won Zdenka over. The light and neutral Matttew frame accompanies her at work every day and fits into her wardrobe perfectly. From the Italian brand Ross & Brown she chose prescription sunglasses that traveled through Asia with her this year.
"A customer immediately recognizes whether you do things from the heart. That's why I treat them the way I'd want to be treated. That's the whole magic of business."
