Discover Whare Honey

Our bees are mostly located on organic sites or farms where there is no use of pesticides or chemical sprays, however because they can fly over 5 kilometres to gather food we don’t always know what they are up to! They have lots of natural wildflowers to collect nectar from: red and white clover, chicory, dandelion, buttercup, and fruit trees such as plums, apples, peaches and pears. They can also collect nectar from a wide variety of native tree flowers such as rata, hoheria, five finger, tawa and lemonwood. Herbs like rosemary and thyme are included as well, plus roses, barberry, flaxes, gorse and blackberry.

Our bush honey hives are scattered around the sacred mountain, Maungatautari, a 3,400 hectare mainland ecological island and wildlife bird reserve. This reserve is predator fenced which has allowed the bush to revert to its natural state, so again the bees have a feast of native flowers to feed on. This is where we collect our Rewarewa honey with it’s beautiful deep rich amber colour and delicious caramel flavour. It is perfect to use in asian-style dishes or for desserts, and as an added bonus the honey contains high levels of antioxidants.

In the summer we take some hives to mānuka fields. Again, the farmers here do not spray and the bees fly free to gather mānuka nectar over the short flowering season, in the heat of summer. Mānuka honey takes on the flavours of the region the hives are situated in, much like how a good red wine reflects the ground the vines have grown in. It is always exciting at harvest time having the first taste. Mānuka honey also contains methylglyoxal, a compound found in most types of honey but usually in only small quantites. In New Zealand mānuka honey, the methylglyoxal levels are uniquely high. The higher the concentration of methylglyoxal, the stronger the antibiotic effect.

We bring all our hives back in the autumn to farms and bush land close to our home base at Parawera. This makes it easy for us to check that they are happy and healthy, top up their food supplies when needed and attend to other housekeeping duties. These duties include painting the hives, cleaning the bottom boards and replacing old dark wax frames with nice new, fresh golden combs. We make sure our bees are safely snuggled down for the winter, then leave them to rest up before the annual cycle starts again in early spring.
Our winters are mild with some frost, autumns are clear and crisp while summers are long and hot. The air is clear, there is no pollution of any kind and this reflects in the beautiful honey our bees produce.

• To have happy healthy bees and to put them first at all times.
• Employ staff who love bees and who enjoy working with like minded beekeepers.
• Provide an excellent workplace for all to enjoy.
• Show a strong commitment to excellence and quality in all we do.
• Use safe work practices.
• To use sustainable methods in all areas of our beekeeping.
• Keep as close to nature as possible and respect the constraints she places on our beekeeping activities.
• Maintain a successful business that recognisies and values the contribution made by all staff and whanau.
• Have lots of fun on the way.

Whare Honey Limited Partnership is wholly owned by Ngāti Whare Holdings Limited. Ngāti Whare is an iwi (tribe) of the central North Island, whose customary rohe (territory) runs through the south-west Urewera and parts of the Kaingaroa region, including the area known as Te Whaiti-nui-a-Toi. Ngāti Whare takes its name from the eponymous ancestor Wharepakau. Together with his nephew Tangiharuru (the progenitor of Ngāti Manawa) and their followers, Wharepakau conquered Te Marangaranga, the original inhabitants of the western Urewera/Kaingaroa area, some time in the early 1600s. Ngāti Whare and their close neighbours Ngāti Manawa have remained resident on these lands ever since.

Ngāti Whare Holdings Limited is the Ngāti Whare Group’s commercial entity. The Company was established in 2009 as a vehicle to receive and manage settlement redress received from the Crown as part of the Treaty of Waitangi settlement.

The Ngāti Whare Holdings Limited Vision (Te Huapae) is “Economic advancement for Ngāti Whare”.

The Ngāti Whare Holdings Limited Mission Statement (Te Kaupapa) is “To create long term wealth and opportunities for Ngāti Whare”.

The Company operates with a Board of Directors – Rick Braddock, Ian Hulton and Bronco Carson. The organisation is lead by CEO Mere George and her team.