Manitoba Chamber of Commerce
Issue link: http://publications.winnipegfreepress.com/i/1061969
36 WINTER 2018 WENDELL HONEY W endell Estate Honey got a sweet publicity boost this winter, landing a premium spot in Canadian Living magazine's 2018 Christmas Gift Guide. While they sell bulk honey to a packer/ distributor, owners Tim and Isabel Wendell hold a portion of their crop in reserve, which allows them to have complete control over the way it's handled and sold. By keeping it a natural, unprocessed, fully traceable food item, they are able to package and market it as a premium product. The couple run Wendell Honey Farm along with Wendell Estate Honey, which markets the farm's premium artisan honey. It's sold in 250-gram, 340-gram and one-kilogram jars as a higher-end retail product. "There are two reasons we decided to go with marketing in smaller containers," says Isabel. "One is to put out a really natural product for people from our farm, and the other is that like any other crop, you sell to whomever will buy it; there are a lot of ups and downs — that's just how the farming business is. "But if we can sell a portion of our farm crop as a premium product through our marketing company, then that will level off the big ups and downs." Balancing the market makes the business more stable because the farmers can set their own price. But being an artisan producer isn't just about marketing — it's about delivering a pure, natural product. "We are watching all the way along and we work from breeding the bees at our farm to selling to the retailer," Isabel says. The business got an earlier publicity boost with a successful pitch on CBC-TV's Dragons' Den in 2013. While they chose not to accept the dragons' offer, the Wendell name continues to gain popularity. The third-generation family company recently spread its wings, buying and renovating the old Co-op building in Roblin to accommodate growth. Isabel Wendell says she hopes the business is having an impact, providing an alternative to highly processed foods, which is important to her own family. "As much as we can, we try to promote that idea there's lots of good food out there, and hopefully, we are just one of the players in that movement back to less processed food." ■ Photo courtesy of Wendell Estate Honey FOLLOWING THE HONEY Premium product is pure, natural and popular