Our clients make up a motley of successful entrepreneurs across multiple industries. This month’s Small Business Feature looks at a unique business, The Honey Bear, which has been built on a passion for bees and the delicious liquid gold that they supply.
What makes The Honey Bear special?
The Honey Bear has been keeping bees in and around Johannesburg for over 30 years. We are a family-run operation that is acutely focused on providing the purest and healthiest honey. Integrity and essence are fundamental to our daily lives, and that is imbued into what we offer to customers. Our honey is of the highest quality because we care deeply about how it is made.
What differentiates The Honey Bear from other companies in the industry?
We have a primary focus on honey quality, and how can we make this available to all customers. We provide various aspects of honey and bee products, from raw honey to nutritional supplementary infusions, to sun and healing creams and beeswax. We always attempt to close our production loop, and make use of as many levels of the product as possible. Waste is minimized, and offerings are varied. We operate in a very conscientious ecosystem.
What products are your best sellers?
It would seem fairly obvious, but our local honey is our biggest seller. People love the quality and purity of our honey. We take care in what we do, and how we do it, and the quality and taste is very evident.
How or where do people buy from you?
We are primarily beekeepers and secondarily bottlers of honey and bee products. So you can purchase our products from stores such as Jackson’s Real Food Market, Nutribalance, Health Works, Fruits and Roots, The Service Station, and Thrupps. You can also place orders online through our website www.thehoneybear.co.za and email info@thehoneybear.co.za
How long have you been in business and what lessons have you learned?
The Honey Bear has been in business for close to 20 years. We have always been family-run, and it’s a very small operation. We have kept our operations and relationships intimate and limited.
We have learned so many things over the years. Things are always changing, and some things stay the same. There is no secret sauce or special secret. We work hard, and we work long. We could be better in certain aspects, but we are here consistently doing the work that needs to be done.
Which products do you offer that you want people to know more about?
We would like people to access our nutritional supplement range. We are constructing a much more integrated website, which will deliver a more relevant product basket, so please check back soon.
Browse Bonpak’s range of glass honey jars, and preserving jars here
