Humble Beginnings
Egmont Honey began from humble beginnings. A beehive may seem like an unusual present, but for committed conservationist Toby Annabell, it was perfect.
It began in 2008
A beehive may seem like an unusual gift, but for committed conservationist Toby Annabell, it was perfect. Gifted by his son James, this hive sparked a passion for authentic Mānuka Honey and ethical beekeeping.
This passion fueled the growth of that single hive into 100, then 1,000, and eventually the 4,000 that are now nestled into the native bush of the Annabell’s South Taranaki farm. Dense, rich honey flows straight to our purpose-built factory right here in New Plymouth, Taranaki.
Just like any good hive, our factory has its own worker bees. Our amazing team oversees the filling and labeling of up to 15,000 honey jars per day. It's bottled here, and shipped everywhere; with our honey now being exported to over 20 countries, people all over the world are enjoying the West Coast on their toast.
Despite the wild growth of Egmont Honey, the founding Annabell duo are still fiercely hands-on, with James as CEO and Toby as Operations Director.
Our Founders
James Annabell
Founder & CEO
James has been part of the honey industry for many years, first discovering his passion while living in Hong Kong and playing professional rugby. During that time, he helped develop the Asian market for two of New Zealand’s largest honey producers.
“After building up a significant number of beehives with my father, Toby, I decided to leave the corporate companies and focus entirely on growing the Egmont Honey brand.”
Today, James leads a dedicated team based in Taranaki, driving growth and innovation with the same passion that started it all.
Toby Annabell
Co-founder and Operations Director
With over 40 years of experience in New Zealand’s rural sector, Toby’s roots run deep in the land. He grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Waitōtara Valley—now home to thousands of beehives producing Mānuka honey for Egmont Honey.
Toby went on to farm sheep and cattle himself and later ran a successful agricultural contracting business, which he recently sold to focus entirely on sustainable honey production.
“I’m passionate about producing honey our customers can trust. There’s great reward in creating a truly sustainable product—and in helping grow bee populations through our continued expansion of hives.”
Meet the Makers
It takes an entire community to bring our honey from the hive to the jar. Watch our series on the key people who make it happen - from the landowners and helicopter pilots, to our beekeepers and honey makers.
Landowner / Farmer Chris Frewin
From cutting to planting
Helicopter Pilot / Paul Greene
Transporting hives
Co-Founder / Toby Annabell
And Operations Director
Honey Maker / Jason Biggs
The production of the honey
Sustainability at
Egmont Honey
Here at Egmont Honey, we believe in doing good not only for our bees, but for our environment too. Check out the following to see how a little change can do a lot of good.
100% recycled plastic
Our products are packed into 100% recycled plastic rPET jars. Did you know it requires 79% fewer greenhouse emissions and less energy to produce recycled PET jars compared to new plastic jars?
Hive To Home
We own the farm, the hives and the factory - creating a shorter supply chain and reducing greenhouse gas emissions!
Regenerative Farming For the Future
We're restoring farmland to its former state by planting Mānuka trees alongside other New Zealand native species. We're also partnering with the Taranaki Kiwi Trust to trap introduced predators on our South Taranaki farm. In time, this will allow us to reintroduce Kiwi birds into the native forest that covers the majority of the farm!
Non-GMO, Glyphosate-residue free, antibiotic free
Our hives are located deep in New Zealand's remote native forests, far away from any pesticides or contamination commonly found in other honey-producing countries. Our independent laboratory testing certifies that all our honey is non-GMO, glyphosate-residue-free, and antibiotic-free. Nothing to hide, nothing but nature.
No commercial pollination
Some apiaries move their bees to commercial orchards during the winter, but our girls work hard enough making honey during the summer. We leave them to rest during the "off season" to reduce any extra stress.
Increasing Bee Pollinations
Bees are vital to the ecosystem. Without pollination, we’d have no food—and no life as we know it. Our beekeepers carefully and ethically support healthy bee populations by managing hives, fostering queen bees, and preventing disease and swarming so that every colony can thrive.