We are a proud family-owned and operated business located in Redmond, Washington. We are dedicated to producing high-quality, local honey while maintaining sustainable beekeeping practices in the beautiful Pacific Northwest. 

     Our journey began with a simple love for these incredible pollinators and has grown into a thriving apiary that produces a variety of natural products. From our delicious, raw honey to our soothing lip balm, 100% sustainable beeswax wraps, and hand-poured beeswax candles, everything we offer is crafted with care and respect for the environment. Similar to the honeybees who work together, we also work together with our neighbors. We wouldn't exist without our neighbors who are amazing gardeners.

 

Our Mission

     We are committed to sustainability and the well-being of our bees. By practicing responsible beekeeping, we ensure that our bees are healthy and our products are of the highest quality. Our mission is to provide our community with natural, eco-friendly alternatives that support a sustainable lifestyle.

 

Why Choose Us

• Local and Sustainable: As a local farm, we take pride in supporting our community and the environment. Our products are made with locally sourced ingredients and sustainable practices.
• Quality You Can Trust: Each product is carefully crafted to ensure it meets our high standards of quality and sustainability. Our standards were established when we purchased our first hives in 2023.
• Passion for Bees: Our love for bees is at the heart of everything we do. We are dedicated to protecting these vital pollinators and educating others about their importance.

 

How Our Honeybees Create Your Honey

• Our industrious honeybees work tirelessly through the seasons to create the delicious honey you see in our glass jars (never plastic). Here's how this remarkable process unfolds:

 

The Collection Process

• Our worker bees venture out from their hives to collect nectar from flowers within a five (5) mile radius of our apiary. The honeybees store this nectar in their special "honey stomach" where enzymes begin breaking down complex sugars into simpler ones.
• Back at the hive, the forager bees pass the processed nectar to house bees. The house bees continue adding enzymes and then deposit the nectar into hexagonal wax cells within the honeycomb.
• The honeybees fan their wings over the open cells to evaporate excess water, concentrating the nectar until it reaches about 18% moisture content. Once properly dehydrated, they cap each cell with a thin layer of beeswax to preserve the honey.

 

Why Our Honey Changes Color Throughout the Year

• The beautiful color variations you see in our honey tell the story of Washington's seasonal blooms.
• Spring Honey: Our lightest honeys come from early Spring when bees forage on Big Leaf Maple, Vine Maple, and fruit tree blossoms. These nectar sources produce honey ranging from water-white to light amber with delicate mild flavors.
• Summer Honey: As the season progresses, our honeybees visit blackberry bushes, wildflowers, and other late blooming plants. These sources contain higher concentrations of minerals and complex compounds, resulting in darker amber honey with richer, more robust flavors.
• The color intensity directly reflects the nectar source. The lighter colors indicate simpler sugar compositions from early blooms, while darker colors show the complex compounds and minerals from the late-season flowers. Each jar captures the essence of our local Washington landscape during that specific time of harvest.

 

Our Promise: 

• .Every jar of Novelty Hill Apiary honey reprsents the pure, unfiltered work of our honeybees, and the diverse floral offerings of the Redmond area. From our family to yours, we are proud to share the natural sweetness of the Pacific Northwest.

 

Thank you for supporting Novelty Hill Apiary. Together we can make a difference - One Bee at a Time!