Beyond the Bee, a company that sells locally manufactured honey, was established because Prakash Adhikari wanted to help a friend who was unable to market the honey he was trying to sell. “The company was about to collapse and as a friend I had to do something,” says Adhikari, proprietor and founder of Beyond the Bee at Lazimpat.
He further adds, “Selling local honey was a completely new idea in Nepal and I wanted to make it work.” Hence, he began his research in order to understand the market for local honey in Kathmandu. Adhikari also started building connections with some hotels and restaurants around the valley that eventually became interested in buying the honey.
That was in 2004 and since then Adhikari has been working tirelessly to promote the business of manufacturing and selling local honey.
The many kinds of honey
Beyond the Bee has five different varieties of local honey. The first one is called organic honey or raw honey as it comes straight from the hives of Apis Meliferra bees. These bees are found between Tarai and the hills.
The second kind is called the local honey which is brought to you straight from wooden log hives, these hives can be found in the homes of people in Lamjung, Pyuthan, Dang, Chitwan and even Sindhupalchok. Cliff honey, on the other hand, is taken out from the hives of Apis Laboriosa bees that live at the cliff, in the mountainous regions of Nepal. Lastly, jungle honey is from tree honeybee hives of Tarai and hilly region of Nepal. “Our country has a rich source of honey.
More than just a necessity
We intend to bring the purest form of honey to our customers,” says Adhikari. He also claims that their honey is 100% natural and it contains no artificial ingredients.
From the villages to you
Beyond the Bee works with district cooperatives and local farmers who supply them with the purest form of honey. “Currently we have links with farmers in Kaski, Dang, Lamjung, Pyuthan, Jajarkot, Chitwan and Sindhupalchok.
Most of the time I’m there at the villages to collect honey and to make sure we have the best quality product,” says Adhikari. The company also strongly adheres to the ‘right-time harvesting’ phenomenon. According to Adhikari, they only sell honey produced at the time when flowers bloom as this is the perfect time to collect high quality honey.
On a mission
Beyond the Bee not only aims to sell pure local honey to its customers but also draws attention and spreads awareness about five different issues.
Firstly, they inform the locals and their customers about bee-friendly plants and trees. “Bee friendly plants are not only beneficial for the bees but they even help the local farmers by pollinating flowers for bountiful fruits and vegetables,” says Adhikari.
Secondly they aim to save bees through apiculture. Thirdly, they teach farmers about the alternatives to pesticides as pesticides have an extremely harmful effect on the bees. Fourthly, the company intends to support local beekeepers by boosting their employment and economy.
And lastly, they run with the slogan of ‘buy local honey’. “Buying local Nepal made honey will not only benefit your health but you will also be boosting our country’s economy,” says Adhikari. “Above all our primary motive is to help people understand the risks associated with declining bee population and educate them in order to help increase the number of healthy bees.”
Their struggle
The biggest challenge in their business is the improper transport system of our country. “Some villages don’t even have roads.
So it becomes extremely difficult to collect honey from the locals,” says Adhikari. He also mentions that unpaved roads often lead to spilling of honey that causes a great loss to their business.
“In the initial phase of our business, road blockade due to numerous political strikes were our biggest hurdle. But the situation is much better now and we are looking forward to a brighter future,” adds Adhikari.
A unique touch
Beyond the Bee also has an open library from where their customers can borrow books. “The community book is a new addition to our Beyond the Bee honey store. It is an effort to build the habit of recycling among our youth,” says Adhikari.
“This way we can save trees beneficial for bees and provide free books for book lovers at the same time,” he adds. To borrow a book, one just needs to submit a photocopy of their identity proof and return the book within a month. The store currently has more than a thousand books.
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