J. Friend & Co was created to return life to honey and dignity to the artisan beekeeper. We want to introduce food lovers to the complex flavours of vintage honey, a taste experience without equal.
Our Story
Bruce has always been fascinated by bees. Beekeeping for over 30 years, he still finds it exciting and challenging. For many years his focus was Beechwood Honeydew Honey but a move to the West Coast of the South Island means he also specialises in Kamahi and Rata honey
Gary currently manages the beehives with some help from his partner Sue, their son Samuel, his father John and their two full time employees.
Rod’s longtime hobby caring for his bees in the backyard, gradually turned into a small beekeeping business. Rod now has hives around Leeston and creates specialty honeys such as Lavender and Blackcurrant.
Lucy's family have owned Muzzle Station for nearly three decades and have been collecting honey from beehives on the land for the past 20 years. Lucy and AJ are the next generation of beekeepers.
Derek's family have been involved in beekeeping for the past 100 years. Derek himself has been a professional beekeeper for 40 years and cannot imagine doing anything else! His hives are situated in the Canterbury and West Coast region of the South Island.
Shayne grew up in the beautiful Coromandel Peninsula and has worked with bees from a very young age, keeping his own hives as a child then working as a hive manager for a number of years. Shayne and Andrea now run their own hives and focus on producing exceptional quality Pohutukawa Honey.
In 1975 Lorraine started beekeeping with just a few hives. Her main occupation at the time was sheep shearing and beekeeping provided her with extra income, as time went on her interest in beekeeping grew and she now has around 600 hives, all located within a 30km radius of Oxford in North Canterbury.
Honey is in the blood of Central Otago beekeeper, Walter – he comes from a long line of apiarists. Beekeeping has been an integral part of Walters family since the turn of the century when they kept hives to pollinate local raspberry crops.
