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.
OUR STORY
It began in 2008
A beehive may seem like an unusual present, but for committed conservationist Toby Annabell, it was perfect. Gifted by his son James, that single hive sparked a passion for authentic Mānuka Honey and ethical beekeeping.
That passion grew one hive into 100, then 1,000, then 4,000 nestled into the native bush of the Annabell family's South Taranaki farm. In 2026 the story took its biggest step yet, when Tweeddale's Honey joined the Egmont family. Tweeddale's has been keeping bees in Taihape since 1945. Together we now look after more than 22,000 hives across South Taranaki and Taihape, making us New Zealand's largest beekeeper.
From both regions, dense, rich Mānuka Honey flows 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 labelling of up to 15,000 honey jars a day. It's bottled here and shipped everywhere, and with our honey now exported to over 40 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.
Where it comes from
The remote native forests of south Taranaki
Our bees forage on the west coast of New Zealand's North Island — one of the most ecologically protected and least industrially-touched landscapes left in the country. No factory farming, no chemical exposure, just native bush as it's always been.
The Mānuka grows wild there. Our beekeepers know every forage site by name and harvest by hand, season by season. That's a different kind of supply chain — slower, smaller, more honest. It also produces the honey we wanted to make.
OUR TEAM
Meet our Founders
James Annabell
Founder & CEO
James has been in the honey industry for some time, and fell into his first role while based in Hong Kong playing professional rugby. During his time abroad he developed the Asian market for two of New Zealand's largest honey companies.
“After building up a significant number of bee hives with Toby, I decided to leave the more corporate companies to concentrate 100% of my time on developing the Egmont Honey brand and working with our private label customers.”
James now oversees our large team based in Taranaki, and continues to drive growth and innovation with just as much passion as when the business was first formed.
Toby Annabell
Co-Founder & Operations Manager
ManagerToby has over 40 years of experience in the rural sector. He grew up on a sheep and beef farm in the Waitotara Valley which is now home to thousands of bee hives collecting Mānuka Honey.
Toby went on to become a sheep and beef farmer himself and recently sold an agricultural contracting business to focus solely on sustainable honey production for Egmont Honey.
“I am passionate about producing honey for our consumers. I enjoy the rewards of producing a sustainable product and increasing the bee population with our aggressive expansion of hive numbers."
"When we started in 2008, I didn't expect this business to become what it is today. We've grown, but the job hasn't changed: look after the bees, look after the land, and make our Mānuka Honey accessible to all households around the world.""
Independently tested. Every batch.
Every batch of our Mānuka Honey is independently tested and certified for MGO, and is fully traceable from hive to jar. Giving you assurance every time you have authentic, premium quality.
MGO measurement
100% traceable
UMF certification
Our sustainability commitments
Increasing bee populations
Bees are integral to the ecosystem. Without pollination, we would have no food and therefore no life as we know it. Our beekeepers carefully and ethically foster queen bee numbers through disease and swarm management, so that the population can thrive.
Regenerative farming for the future
We're returning farmland to its former state by planting Mānuka tress alongside other New Zealand natives. We're also working with the Taranaki Kiwi Trust to trap introduced predators on our South Taranaki farm. This means we will eventually be able to introduce Kiwi into the native forest that makes up the majority of the farm!
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 create recycled PET jars than new plastic jars?
No commerical 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.
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.
Hive to home
We own the farm, the hives and the factory, meaning a smaller supply chain and lower greenhouse gas emissions!