Toronto-based all-natural honey company Nude Bee Honey has been generating buzz since they launched back in 2010. Sourced directly from local beekeepers, the raw, unpasteurized honey has been winning rave reviews from foodies for its unique taste and ethical approach to the protection of bee populations around the world.
The locally-sourced honey is the exact opposite of the processed honey you probably grew up eating. Raw honey is filled with a multitude of antioxidants because it has never been filtered, pasteurized or flavoured. In fact, you can often find wax and pollen naturally embedded within each jar
Nude Bee’s four flavours (pumpkin, blueberry, buckwheat and wildflower) represent the hard work of thousands of bees who collect pollen from local plants growing around the hive. Yes, that’s flavour from real pumpkin patches and real blueberry bushes, put directly into the honey by the function of the ecosystem itself.
Think of it more as a partnership (in zoology its called ‘symbiosis’) between the people and the bees themselves. A percentage from every jar of honey sold goes directly to the Ontario Beekeepers Association, an organization that takes an active role protecting the province’s honey bee populations from dwindling due to pesticide use.
If you couldn’t already tell, the company is passionate about creating a dialogue about environmental issues. Ryan Thomas, partner and brand manager at Nude Bee, says “if a product is beautiful you’ll pick it up. If it’s delicious you’ll ask why. If you ask why we can tell you about why the sustainability of bee populations matter.” It’s all about getting people to think about where their food is coming from.
Nude Bee Honey retails for $9.99 and is available at select Loblaw’s and Sobeys stores across Ontario, a variety of independent grocers and health food stores, Indigo stores across Canada and online at nudebee.ca.
