Canaan a honey of a job

Michael Brandon (left) with Oliver Gardner in the honey extraction room. Photo / Paul Brooks

Janice and John Brandon started Canaan Honey in 1982, buying a home and former racing stables in Mosston Rd. The stables proved perfect to store honey and equipment, and the shed which once housed grain and the tractor was turned into a shop and the extraction and packing room. A family business was born.

In April this year, son Michael Brandon and fiancée Melissa Roberts took over the business, keeping it running through lockdown, but taking a short break when John died this month.
Michael and Melissa get married on July 4.

Michael returned to Whanganui and Canaan Honey in 2016, after living in Auckland where he worked as an accountant and website technician.

His shift to beekeeping coincided with the worst two years in the company's history.

"The third year was a lot better and this year has been good," he says.

Although he is now in the shop, he previously took product to a lot of markets around the North Island.

"Sometimes three markets a week. Loading up the ute and heading off to Palmerston North on a Saturday morning, Saturday afternoon and evening at Ohakune, and Sunday morning in Sanson."

They visited other, smaller markets too.

"Now we've got the shop we've decided to just do the big markets, like the one in Feilding and the markets in Martinborough."

Michael and Melissa have plans for the business, including a cafe and ice cream parlour.
"We've got an amazing group of loyal customers here, and that's been invaluable during the Covid time. We have not been based on tourism business.

"We got the website together and did courier delivery to our local customers. As levels changed we were able to deliver personally and we also did click and collect.

"Now we're in level 1 and we're receiving orders from all around the North Island. We're changing our days of business: it used to be Wednesday and Thursday we were open every week, so we're now open on Fridays (9am-5pm) and Saturdays (9am-2pm)."

With just the two of them, and Melissa working full time in education as an RTLB adviser, Michael considers two days are enough.

"Mum and Dad were working full time with a part-time person in the shop: I'm just one person plus a shop assistant. When we add the cafe and ice cream, it will get another group of customers."

Canaan's reputation for its honey is widespread, with many people over the years having visited on school trips or been with their parents. Now those people have children of their own and bring them to learn about bees or buy honey or honey-based products.

"We have multiple generations coming through here."

He's hoping being open on a Saturday will extend the customer base.

"I love seeing people be creative with bee products," says Michael. He stocks a locally made skin care range as well as beeswax, honey and much more. People can bring their own containers to fill with honey.

"The Whanganui market is price sensitive and they're also interested in not using plastic."

Michael considers himself lucky to be doing the job he's doing with the skills he has.

"I come from accounting and websites. As a small-business owner I need to do accounting and I need to have a website. I love meeting people so the shop is fantastic. I love woodwork and there's a whole heap of woodwork involved in making bee boxes and putting together the frames ... then all the different aspects of processing. I love it, and now I have Melissa beside me."