Our Hustle Story

Beekeeping it local

Wax Eyed Bees Honey are a tiny but tight Mount Maunganui team dedicated to crafting premium yet affordable honey for our local community and beyond.

You may have seen our distinctive jars on the shelf of your local Mount or Papamoa supermarket or our bee truck and boss Wayne the local 'Honey Hustler' parked up selling honey from the roadside (legally of course!). So how did our humble honey hustle begin?

Born from an avid interest in nature, Wax Eyed Bees Ltd kicked off in 2016 as a lone hive in a Mount backyard intended as a therapeutic hobby. One hive soon turned into seven so Wayne could observe activity in a hive for every day of the week.

As his suburban beach backyard reached capacity and his appetite for beekeeping increased, Wayne asked a few local mates to house just a few more hives on their larger properties. The golden idea of Wax Eyed Bees honey slowly grew from there.

Wayne was introduced to his wise beekeeping mentor Pete, now one of Wax Eyed Bees' 'stars of the jar'. Pete guided Wayne from his first year in bees to becoming a regular supplier of quality honey to New Zealand's largest bee product companies (including his premium Mānuka honey) providing consignments of honey destined for international markets.

Fast forward to 2020 with a marketing partner in tow, Wax Eyed Bees Honey transformed to hit the shelves offering public truly decent honey at a truly decent price. You'll now find Wax Eyed Bees Honey stocked in local supermarkets New World, Gilmours and FreshChoice, artisan bakery Flaveur Breads and tea boutique, Tea153.

From our hives to your home, we are stoked to share this sweet gift from nature with you and our community.