SAVOUR Manitoba

SAVOUR MANITOBA | SUMMER 24 29 We had a tea available before, but we wanted to make a 2.0 version extra special, so it mattered how we sweetened it," says Chris Warwaruk, co-owner of Farmery. "We wanted to offer more value to the consumer so I reached out to Bee Maid to see if they were interested in doing a collaboration and experimenting with beverages sweetened with honey. ey were ecstatic to help us learn the nuances of flavouring beverages with honey." Shannon Bowden, senior brand and communications manager for Bee Maid, explains that honey contains more fructose than sugar, so you don't need to use as much to get the same sweetening power. "We gave Farmery a pail of our white honey to try out as well as some information on the science of creating products with honey. ey started playing with formulations and, within a few weeks, brought us some to try," Bowden says. "We loved the flavours; nothing tasted artificial. It was all super authentic and natural tasting." e partnership between Farmery and Bee Maid is rooted in their shared devotion to supporting local agriculture. As a farm-to- table brewery and agritourism destination, Farmery believes in the importance of growing and processing locally and spreading that local message to help grow the local economy and community. "Farmery is built on dealing directly with farmers because we're farmers ourselves. You're not going to get a more direct from the farm product than this iced tea because we are buying directly from the source," says Warwaruk, referring to the 300 western Canadian beekeepers that make up Bee Maid's co-operative. When you buy from Bee Maid, you know exactly where your honey is coming from, Bowden adds. "It's from one of our western Canadian members, and that's why we like to say it's truly 'hive to home' because we're involved in the entire process. It hasn't come from outside Canada, and we're not blending with honey from other countries. When you buy from Bee Maid, you know exactly what you're getting," Bowden says. "Manitoba is a huge agricultural province, and we need bees out there pollinating crops like canola, sunflower and others. It (honey production) has an impact on agriculture as a whole — it's a symbiotic relationship," she adds. Warwaruk says another advantage of working with Bee Maid is their established brand presence and stellar reputation. "We're proud to partner with them and put their name on our label. It gives retailers and consumers a stamp of accreditation," he says. "It's something very unique in the marketplace, at a good value price point." At the same time, Bowden says there's a real traceability and authenticity when you know where the product you're consuming comes from. Auntie Bea's Cold-Brewed Iced Teas are available today in grocery and convenience stores across Manitoba, Saskatchewan and Alberta. Auntie Bea's Hard-Brewed Teas with four per cent alcohol are also available in Manitoba. To learn more or purchase online, visit farmery.ca. " The partnership between Farmery and Bee Maid is rooted in their shared devotion to supporting local agriculture.

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