Catching Shannon: Wild Stag Honey - as catchy as

Wild Stag Honey was just opened in Shannon.

You may wonder when you hear the name...wild stags...honey...?? Really, since when? But shop owner Dave Collins just went for a catchy name, red stag already being used by other businesses. Dave has 10 years as a beekeeper under his belt and is also an enthusiastic hunter, and he is as Shannon local as.....

He used to sell his honey to nationwide honey buyers and for a while exported to Singapore until the price frenzy that resulted from the pandemic, made it too expensive for him. “We registered the name three years ago and we think Wild Stag incorporates what we do as hunters and beekeepers and it IS a catchy name,” he said.

Dave Collins has turned his hobby into a business.

He opened the Shannon store, with very appealing, rustic interior which has room for products made by other locals such as Hemp from Hemp Connect, milk from Udderly and honey, other than the kānuka and mānuka honey that Wild Stag produce themselves.

All products are from Horowhenua businesses, such as the honey from Gillard. “We have honey for every purse, from $5-$100.

“Mānuka and kānuka honey that has been aged five years in the barrel is fabulous. The longer in the barrel the better the honey,” he said.

The shop sells lemon honey and orange honey drinks form $2.50 a cup as well as honey flavoured icecream. A honey-based skin care range is on its way and there is local art on the walls. Des Comyn’s work is outdoor/nature related so goes well in these surroundings with honey cone shaped shelving on the walls, and with colours like dark brown and yellow everywhere.

Wild Stag Honey sells other healthy product, including non mānuka/kānuka honey, Hemp Connect products, Udderly Milk and a range of honey related skin care products are coming soon.

Collins said he used local tradies to kit out his shop, which used to be a takeaway shop that burnt down in 2016. He loves the chance to open a store in Shannon, a town that will see a revival given that those who travel north out of Wellington and down SH57 from just before Levin, won’t have a chance to stop anywhere else. “Local businesses have already seen an increase in traffic,” he said.

But stopping in Shannon is not being made easy. “There isn’t enough parking available and once a truck or two with trailer stops, everyone else chooses to continue on. We need angle parking, that would create more parking space. The council seems to have a long-term plan for more parking, but so far nothing has happened, and we need action now.”

Other shops have appeared on Plimmer Tce recently, such as a collectible shop and a hairdresser and rumour has it the fish and chip shop might open again. “Better parking would mean more exposure for Shannon.”

Wild Stag Honey is based on Plimmer Tce in Shannon and is open Sunday-Wednesday from 10 am to 5pm.