Image Upload


File size must be less than 2Mb

You must have online publishing permission or full ownership of this image

File types (jpg, png, gif)






  • Hero image
    THREE GENERATIONS: The Stanley family, including Warren Stanley, left, his sons Toby, 4, and Cooper, 7, and father, John, has become a well-known name in the Wimmera for its quality honey products.

AgLife: Sweet success for buzzing business Beetanicals

By Michael Scalzo

A Wimmera honey business built on more than 80 years of family and industry knowledge has emerged from COVID-19-restrictions as an award-winning force. 

Based at Douglas, third-generation honey business ‘Beetanicals’ has one eye on raw-honey products and another on its range of beeswax-based skin balms.

The brand won five awards at the prestigious 2022 Sydney Royal National Honey Show last month, in the commercial-honey section of competition. 



Article continues below



It also won gold at 2022 Organic Beauty Awards as the ‘best wellbeing self-care brand’. 

Company founders Tanya and Warren Stanley have dedicated Beetanicals’ Sydney show wins to Warren’s parents, John and Bev Stanley, founders of Stanley’s Honey. 

“We dedicate these honey awards to Warren’s parents for producing premium single line honey that has been loved by so many locals and beyond for decades,” Mrs Stanley said.

Beetanicals walked away from the show with silver recognition in Manuka and Eucalyptus Honey MGO 30+, and Blue Gum Honey; as well as bronze in Yellow Box Honey, Red Gum Honey and Manuka Honey MGO 100+. Mrs Stanley said the honey was judged on flavour, colour, aroma, clearness and brightness. 

Warren Stanley said he attributed the honey’s success to specialist knowledge about which of the family’s beehive sites produced the best honey, as well as an ability to get single lines of honey from forest sites. “Our honey is straight line, premium honey and we don’t blend our honey,” he said.

“We have a large amount of sites in forests, which enable us to get our single lines. 

“We have learnt over the years which of our sites produces the best honey as all sites aren’t equal. Some areas can produce a better tasting honey than others.” 

Mrs Stanley said like most businesses during the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Beetanicals had its ‘challenges’, but now things had ‘taken flight’. 

“COVID-19 put a damper on us getting out there and getting to expos to promote the brand and mix with customers and industry, it certainly slowed that side of our growth,” she said. 

Mrs Stanley said after trade shows were cancelled the company invested more time into social media and collaborations with other Australian businesses.  

“But it was our foundations, with local support and Australia-wide online orders, that allowed Beetanicals to move forward. Being adaptable and willing to evolve in changing times has been pivotal,” she said. 

“In 2022 we have attended more festivals and markets than we have in a long time, with the idea of re-connecting directly with our customers, hearing feedback and allowing for people to test our entire product range. 

“This has helped our business continue to fly.”

Mrs Stanley said the company was recently at Grampians Grape Escape and was a ‘well-received treat’, especially with children and families. 

She said Beetanicals products were available across the Wimmera and ‘bee-yond’.

“Our stockists are listed on our website, www.beetanicals.com.au,” she said.

The entire May 25, 2022 edition of The Weekly Advertiser is available online. READ IT HERE!

The entire May 25, 2022 edition of AgLife is available online. READ IT HERE!