Our Story
OUR PAST
It was 1959 when Leon Janson, a newlywed from Hawke’s Bay drove home in his Vauxhall PA having just purchased his very first bees. Thousands of bees swarmed in and around the car as it potted along New Zealand’s winding roads. Leon stacked ten hives on his trailer, two in the boot and two more in the back seat of the car; tense and squinting through the mesh of his bee suit the whole ride home.
Little did he know these were the humble beginnings of a family company spanning generations, a company that nearly seventy years later would be distributing the highest quality Manuka honey to consumers all over the world. Hand collected from remote and isolated Manuka sites throughout New Zealand, Leon’s grandsons Lars, Hamish, Jules and their team work tirelessly to harvest and provide the worlds best Manuka honey.
OUR PEOPLE
“It is our team that makes Melita Honey great. Not individual achievements, not one or two leaders, but the collective culture of teamwork, respect, hard work, and good sustainable family values.”
Richard Barley
NZHG have helped me grow within the company, and have offered me opportunities many other companies wouldn’t. I enjoy working at NZHG because every day is different, I’m constantly learning new things about the honey industry, and different areas of the business. I know NZHG will help and encourage me to reach my goals.
They provided me a great environment to grow and develop to where I am now.
Whether it’s the beekeepers, senior management or packing staff, across the company we have the same goal – to produce high quality NZ Manuka honey and products. I love being a part of that.
From there I moved departments to join the Bulk Honey team. I have had the opportunity to work with the Beekeeping team all the way through to the Packing team.
I love working here as every day is different and I have the opportunity to learn further whilst working. The working environment is positive and the management team is really supportive.
Working with NZHG is enjoyable because people genuinely care about each other personally and work together as a team. Additionally, the tasks are personally challenging and match my career goals. I always start a day by reviewing my to-do list and then set up a roadmap with my team before we head out to enjoy the nature in beekeeping.
NZHG is one of the most successful companies because has strong ultimate objectives which they strive for every day.
My colleagues at NZHG are extremely encouraging, talented and like one big family who are always around to support at times of need. The company is multicultural and we get to interact with colleagues from various nationalities and cultural background, which is also another interesting facet of working for NZHG. And it’s not all work all the time, NZHG also has a very proactive approach to employee wellbeing and frequently organizes company events. Melita has been one of the best places to work.
OUR PRESENT
In 2011, Hamish Janson joined forces with Richard Barley, and together they created and launched the Melita Honey company, focusing on high value UMF Manuka Honey and catering to the fast growing Chinese market. 5 years later, four bee keeping companies, two brands, a packing company (Happy Valley Honey) and a specialty food processing company came together to form the Melita Group. Further Land and bee keeping acquisitions followed, and the company quickly grew to over 10,000 hives, facilities in Hawkes Bay, Auckland, Rotorua and Whanganui. The team also grew to over 60 staff and in 2020 renamed to become now known as the NZ Honey Group. The company continues to focus on growth and sustainability, driving the industry forward through constant innovation with it’s incredible team of people.
From the hive to the table, we deliver a product of exceptional quality so you can enjoy the superior taste straight from nature.
OUR FUTURE
Our immediate future sees us leveraging our knowledge, resources and capability to bring the industry together. We are in the final stages of planning and will soon begin construction on a 5,200m² purpose built facility in Hawke’s Bay. This multi million dollar investment will house a world class, industry leading honey processing, storage and packing facility to service New Zealand’s (largely) fragmented honey industry, as well as become a destination for tourists to the region.
Our vision for the facility is to enable and support bee keepers to focus on what they do best, leaving NZHG to manage the rest. Whilst, delayed due to Covid, We have secured the land and are aiming to break ground on our new facility in 2023-2024 and are excited to create an estimated 20 new full time jobs and play a significant, connecting and support role to advance New Zealand’s honey industry.