Over 35 years ago Steve was sitting in a car looking on as his brother in law got repeatedly stung by bees, running around and flailing his arm, trying to attend a hive. In that moment Steve said “I want a bee hive.’ This is where the honey started to flow.
It wasn’t long before one hive turned into 10 hives and, with an abundance of honey, and family and friends refusing to take any more of their delicious substance, Genevieve had a problem on her hands. So what does a good beekeepers’ wife do…? She finds beautiful honey jars, decorates them with gum nuts gathered with her daughter, Emma, in the bushlands of the Blue Mountains, and off she goes to her first market. Not realising that she was on to something.
Blue Mountains Honey products have been seen in David Jones Australia wide, Coles, IGA, Small Deli’s and grocers. They have exported to Singapore, USA, Japan and Hong Kong. At this height of their success, Steve had a number of beekeepers under his wing helping him manage and migrate the bees to produce some of Australia’s best and sort after honey.
At the time they had to relocate the business off the Blue Mountains to Penrith Valley. After three factories in the Penrith CBD area they moved to an urban rural Property in Luddenham, just 10km out of Penrith. This move saw them coming back to their roots. Back to markets and away from supermarkets and export as the industry changed. Blue Mountains Honey opened the doors to The Honey Shed.
The Honey Shed become a place for people to gather, they ran queen bee high teas, workshops, talks and open days. This move was meant to be the businesses last, they even had plans to open a honey bee cafe, but unfortunately, this wasn’t meant to bee.
Steve and Genevieve now had a new problem. Due to the development of the Western Sydney Airport, road works, and limited customers coming out due to the bushfires of 2019 and COVID in 2020, what are they to do now?
While looking for a new home, Genevieve spotted a little 5 acre property in Portland NSW. With more then luck and 12 months behind them Steve and Genevieve moved with their daughter Emma and her family in 2021. This property can offer a number of opportunities for the business and the family. Sign up to the newsletter to see their new adventure unfold.
https://thehoneyshed.com.au/