Natural Honey Suppliers

We dedicate ourselves to the art of producing and packing New Zealand’s most beautiful and popular honeys for retail sale in both domestic and export markets. It is this dedication that has allowed Midlands Apiaries to become one of the largest honey operations in New Zealand. We offer a total honey solution to look after your brand, including private label / OEM honey, bulk honey for food or cosmetic ingredients, and our own stable of retail ready brands.

Our purpose-built, state-of-the-art jar production, honey extraction and packing facilities further improves the quality of our honey, increases capacity and decreases lead times. Our in-house laboratory allows us to test honey at every stage of production because world leading quality is our benchmark, in everything we do.

From consultation to formulation, conception to fulfilment, our emphasis on quality and attention to detail at every stage of the supply chain is second to none.

Over 100 Years of Beekeeping Experience

While we were only established in 2006, we have a rich history that dates back almost 100 years. Local beekeeping business, Symes Apiaries, was working with and supporting Midlands Seeds with the pollination of their arable crops in the 1990s and early turn of the century. Symes Apiaries was being managed by John Syme who was the third generation to run the family business since it founded in the early 1920s.  Symes Apiaries was purchased in 2006 and has grown to become Midlands Apiaries. 

Midlands Apiaries has increased the number of hives it manages over the last decade, and is dedicated to improving hive numbers an strength.  Midlands now managing thousands of hives, with a strong focus on the pollination of local crops. In recent years, we have dedicated ourselves to the art of processing and packing New Zealand's beautiful and popular honeys for retail sale in both domestic and export markets. It is this dedication that has grown Midlands Apiaries to become one of the largest honey packers in New Zealand.

To get to where we are takes a lot of support. The relationships of our loyal suppliers throughout New Zealand and strong partnerships with our customers throughout the world are the driving forces behind our success.

World Class New Zealand Honey

New Zealand has a world reputation for producing excellent honey. And right here on our door step, the Canterbury Plains, the best Clover Honey is produced. To the west of us, we are bounded by the spectacular grandeur of the world famous Southern Alps and to the east by the Pacific Ocean. Snowfed rivers, which form the northern and southern boundaries, ensure an abundance of water, to support floral growth, creating a perfect environment to create some of the smoothest and best tasting Clover honey.

Although based in the Canterbury Plains, we source a variety of New Zealand's finest honeys from pristine and unpolluted lands, forests and mountains across the country. Our knowledge and experience with quality control, traceability systems, and export requirements guarantee that we operate at the highest standard achievable.

Complete Traceability throughout our Supply Chain

Midlands Contracting (our sister company) operates its own fleet of trucks to manage the loading and transporting of export containers to and from port, and cartage of our own products from Cape Reinga to Bluff.  We travel all around New Zealand to pick up honey. We cart bee products eligible for export with Official Assurances under Midlands Apiaries’ Risk Management Program from as far as Kaitaia in the North to Invercargill in the South. Our modern fleet of trucks and professional drivers ensure the integrity and safety of  all the products we transport are maintained. Our drivers can then access both rail and road and airfreight with a choice of two deep water ports with containers facilities located at Lyttelton – 100km to the north and Timaru – 77km to the south and Christchurch International Airport 80km to the north.

Where our honey comes from