Tāwai Bees
Whānau-led East Cape apiary working iwi mānuka stands above Tolaga Bay.
- Signature harvest
- East Cape monofloral mānuka, UMF 15–25+
- Hives
- 1,400
- Years operating
- 22
- Team
- Iwi-led collective, 11 staff
- Region
- East Cape, North Island
How Tāwai Bees operates
Tāwai Bees runs hives across whenua held in collective trust by hapū from Tolaga Bay through to the East Cape. Their mānuka harvest tests consistently high on UMF — UMF 15+ and 20+ are the bulk of their commercial release, with smaller batches reaching UMF 25+ from the most remote sites. They reinvest a fixed share of proceeds back into the trust, and most of their senior beekeepers are second-generation apiculturists.
Practices
- Helicopter-placed hives on remote mānuka stands
- Independent UMF testing for every batch
- Iwi-trust profit share built into pricing
- Closed-loop wax and propolis recycling
Certifications
- Apiculture NZ
- MPI RMP
- UMFHA member
- MANZ certified
Honey types Tāwai Bees produces
What you'll find in their range. Tap a type for the longer explainer — UMF and MGO grading, flowering windows, who else makes it.