OUR STORY
Three mates. One shared passion.
It started with a fascination for bees, a love of New Zealand's wild places, and a belief that nature already knew how to make the world's finest Manuka honey.
The world's finest Manuka honey wasn't created in a factory, it began in nature
THE BEGINNING
Long before Rare New Zealand existed, there were simply three mates who loved being outdoors.
Michael's fascination with bees began in 2015. What started as curiosity quickly became a passion. The more he learnt about beekeeping, the more one thing became clear: the world's finest Manuka honey wasn't created in a factory, it began in nature.
Luke shared the same appreciation for New Zealand's backcountry and the adventure that came with exploring it. Thomas, Michael's younger brother, brought fresh energy, determination and a willingness to learn every part of the craft.
Together they travelled throughout New Zealand, learning from experienced beekeepers, asking questions, working hard, and building the knowledge needed to create something exceptional.
It wasn't about making more honey. It was about making better honey.
OUR JOURNEY
2015: A fascination begins
Michael discovers beekeeping and develops a fascination with bees and New Zealand's remarkable Manuka forests.
2016 - 2018: Learning the craft
Michael, Luke and Thomas spend years learning from experienced New Zealand beekeepers while building their own knowledge, skills and hives.
2019: The discovery
Remote helicopter access unlocks thousands of hectares of pristine alpine manuka on the edge of the Central Plateau. Rare New Zealand begins to take shape.
2020: Built during uncertainty
While the world slowed during COVID-19, Rare New Zealand officially launched. What could have been a setback became the beginning of something special.
2021–2023: Growing with purpose
The business expands its apiary network, invests in premium production, and begins supplying customers throughout New Zealand and overseas while remaining committed to producing genuine single-origin Manuka honey.
2024: Protecting what nature created
The team continues expanding carefully into some of New Zealand's most remote manuka landscapes while strengthening sustainable beekeeping practices and investing in quality from hive to jar.
TODAY: A close-knit team
What started with three mates has grown into a passionate team of beekeepers, family and friends. Some of us have known each other for decades. Some joined the journey along the way. Some are family. Some are partners. And now, you too, are apart of the Rare New Zealand journey.
Together we're still driven by exactly the same belief that started it all: Protect what nature created.
The search for something Rare.
THE SEARCH
Making great honey starts long before the bees arrive. The team travelled throughout New Zealand, learning from experienced beekeepers and exploring some of the country's most remote landscapes.
They weren't searching for the easiest places to keep bees. They were searching for the best.
Eventually that search led them high above the Central Plateau by helicopter. There, beyond roads and farmland, they discovered vast untouched valleys covered in wild Manuka stretching to the horizon.
Thousands of hectares. No intensive agriculture. Minimal human interference.
Just healthy forests, healthy bees and remarkable conditions for producing exceptional Manuka honey.
They had found something rare.
Working with nature, not against it.
THE HARVEST
Everything we do is designed around one simple principle:
Let nature do what it does best.
We carefully position our hives where wild Manuka grows naturally. We support healthy bee colonies. We harvest with care. We independently test every batch. We never try to improve what the bees create. Our role is simply to preserve the remarkable qualities nature has already provided.
Because exceptional honey isn't manufactured. It's protected.
Where every harvest tells a story.
BACKCOUNTRY LIFE
Harvest season means early mornings, changing weather, long days and plenty of hard work.
Sometimes the only way to reach our hives is by helicopter.
Every hive is carefully placed, checked and harvested by our own team, often in places few people will ever visit. It's demanding work.
But producing remarkable honey has never been about taking shortcuts. It's about respecting the land, caring for the bees and doing every job properly.
Rare New Zealand may have started with three mates, but today it's powered by an incredible team of family, lifelong friends and passionate people who all believe in the same mission.
Some of us grew up together. Some joined through family. Some found their way here through friendships that go back years.
Together we've built more than a business. We've built a team that genuinely enjoys working together, spending time outdoors and producing something we're proud to share with the world.
Those friendships shape the way we work. They create trust. They create accountability.
And they remind us why quality will always matter more than quantity.
Still built on friendship
THE PEOPLE
Our story is only just beginning.
THE FUTURE
Today Rare New Zealand honey is enjoyed by customers throughout New Zealand and increasingly around the world.
As we continue to grow, our purpose remains exactly the same as it was on day one.
Protect extraordinary landscapes. Care for healthy bees. Produce exceptional Manuka honey. Share a genuine taste of New Zealand with the world.
Because the greatest things in nature are never rushed. And neither are we.
From backcountry New Zealand, to your table
Every jar of Rare New Zealand honey is a direct expression of the remarkable land it comes from.
Honest. Rare. And entirely natural.