FROM HIVE TO HOME

IMAGES BY CARIN GARLAND

WORDS BY LUISA SLACK-SMITH

Hampson Honey is a wonderful story, one I first came across at my local butcher shop in Canungra. It wasn’t just the story behind the brand, but the incredible taste of this raw and unblended honey that caught my attention. What once started as a hobby hive (circa 2009), born from curiosity and a little fate, is now a flourishing honey business found on the shelves of Woolworths and local fruit and veg shops in the Scenic Rim. The brand is named after the Hampson family, Carl and Karin Hampson, along with their three boys; Tyler and twins Jordan and Jesse.

Karin (pronounced Car-in, the same as our Scenic Road photographer Carin) is passionate about honey, however she states this wasn’t always the case. “I was always fearful of being stung, and wasn’t overly enthusiastic about having hives in our garden, but eventually Carl got his way and so Hampson Honey was born.” Carl adds with a smirk, “She really wasn’t keen on the idea, but after tasting our first lot of honey, I had her sold.”

As with most family-owned businesses, the duties are shared. Karin looks after the marketing and distribution of the business; a successful career in marketing made this a good fit for the super mum, while Carl, an ex-professional squash player, is focused on the health and wellbeing of the bees, having first fallen in love with the art of beekeeping well before the idea of making this a commercial scale business. Along with their boys and extended family and friends who help within the business, this is an Australian brand grown from the first hive … up!

With over a 1000 active hives and a small team of beekeepers and packers, their sweet story is one of fortuitous learnings. Karin reflecting on the decision to take their business from production to retail. “Our dream was to move into retail, but we found it difficult to source an affordable honey packer that could pack our retail range. When the drought and the bushfires hit in 2019, we made the bold decision to diversify into packing honey. This meant we were not so reliant on the beekeeping side to provide for our family. As a farmer, your income is very dependent on the weather and can fluctuate greatly from year to year. We’ve always mitigated the risk to a degree by packing bulk honey. Our goal has always been to give everyday customers the opportunity to taste real honey the way nature intended. Last year, we finally got a seat at the table with Woolworths. They decided to launch our product range in their Queensland and northern NSW stores. We are so grateful to our customers who make this all possible, without the demand for good quality raw Australian honey; our brand would not be on the shelves.”

We are quick to discover this family brand is more than just honey…. our keen interest and endless questions prompt Karin to organise a field trip for us, to experience firsthand the art of Apiculture.

On a beautiful Autumn day, we pack the car and hit the road to shoot Carl and his team in action. Our drive takes us up the range and out to Warwick, just one of the temporary locations that Hampson hives frequent. Carl spends many weeks of the year on the road, driving around the countryside inspecting locations, in search of flowering plants to keep his bees happy and thriving. Tom – one of the Hampson Honey beekeepers and young Tyler Hampson along with Carl, are there to greet us on the arrival. And oh my, the views, the wide-open farmlands, with a mix of woodland and native forests, are nothing short of spectacular. Carin and I both sit in awe and draw a breath as we get our first glimpse of beekeepers at work. It’s stunning to watch, father and son working hand in hand, tending to their bees.

“This is why we do it,” says Carl. “It’s a nomadic life, not without its challenges. We spend many nights away from our families, sleeping rough and rolling out a swag under the stars, but it provides so much more than just an income; there is a sense we are working on something bigger than just producing honey. By taking care of our bees, we are taking care of our planet. We have a saying at Hampson Honey, if we look after the bees, they will look after us. This motto flows through every aspect of our business. Every decision made is shaped by the question, what is best for the bees? This sometimes means leaving the honey for the bees. It sometimes means moving them from one forest to another and then another, chasing a specific floral source depending on their needs. We do whatever it takes to keep them happy and they in return produce incredible tasting honey.”

Our day sadly comes to an end, and as we climb back in our car and head home, we can’t help but smile, knowing we are about to share a great story, one about family and of good will and how a small idea, a dream to produce great tasting honey, gives back so much to so many.

You can purchase Hampson Honey at the following stockists around the Scenic Rim; The Butchery Canungra, Scenic Rim Farmers Market Beaudesert and all Woolworths stores in Queensland and Northern New South Wales.

Hampson Honey is 100% Australian. Everything from the delicious honey, to the jars, cartons, and labels are made in Australia. It’s all farmed, packed and distributed right here in sunny Queensland. By supporting Hampson Honey, you are also supporting many other Australian families and businesses. Follow their journey on socials and support this local familyowned business, quietly working away, doing good for you and our world. Just like the bees!

WEBSITE hampsonhoney.com.au

INSTAGRAM @hampson_honey

FACEBOOK @hampsonhoney