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Wolfe’s Honey gains ground at National Products Expo East
Emily Plihal
for Smoky River Express
After three years of perfecting his innovative upright packaging, Gilbert Wolfe’s efforts are starting to reap the benefits.
Wolfe has been garnishing attention from across the globe with his Honey Bunny line, featuring upright packaging and original products made out of honey he produces in Guy.
Most recently, Wolfe Honey (a business owned and operated by Gilbert and his wife Sharon) was acknowledged at the National Products Expo East in Boston as the Best Packaged product.
“The award is judged by the retail industry and other manufacturers,” says Gilbert. “Our flexible stand-up pouch packaging came in first against various other packing ideas.”
Gilbert explains this award could not come at a better time. He has been approached by Art of Living, a national television show hosted by Marilu Henner, to do a documentary on Wolfe Honey and more specifically on the Honey Bunny line of products.
The television crew from Florida will be in Guy sometime in November to complete a documentary on the organic products. The topics, trends, and issues targeted by Art of Living is “Great organic food finds for the whole family” in its “Healthy Living through Healthy Choices” series.
“The television show will air once in the United States and once in Canada,” explains Gilbert. “It will also be aired 48 times regionally split between Canada and the U.S. on various stations in the two countries.”
The show will air in either April or May of 2010 on networks like Discovery, CNN, Food Network and ABC Kids.
In addition to getting international coverage via the documentary, Gilbert has also been nominated for various awards including the one listed above.
Earlier this year, Honey Bunny was one of the finalists in the Canadian Grand Prix. The company finished second against Smuckers, who won for their upside down squeeze jam bottles. The Honey Bunny flexible stand-up pouch packaging came in second.
Wolfe Honey is known across the region, and now internationally, for their innovative product line. Gilbert explains Honey Bunny is still growing, with new products coming soon.
Honey Bunny currently features three main products in its line. This includes Amazing Dad’s Barbeque sauce, Bodacious Tomato ketchup and the Honey Bunny honey. It also includes a line of lip balm made out of wax from Wolfe’s hives.
“We’ve worked for so long to get all the products and the packaging right,” says Gilbert. “It is nice to see the product taking off so well.”
Gilbert, and more specifically the Honey Bunny line, is receiving offers from major retailers to carry the line of honey products.
Toys R Us and Costco, to name a couple, have requested presentations on the Honey Bunny line.
Currently, Honey Bunny is carried in select Wal-Mart Super Centres, Sobeys Ontario, Sobeys Atlantic, Metro chain in eastern Canada, and will be featured soon in Sobeys West.
Gilbert’s career in apiculture started when he was just 16 years old.
“I was looking for a summer job when I found the opportunity with Raymond Loiselle of Girouxville,” says Gilbert. “After high school I made a decision to pursue apiculture as a profession.”
Gilbert began like many other apiculturists in the region with just 50 hives in a granary.
“I guess I don’t really think about it much because it’s what I do,” says Gilbert. “When we went to Anaheim for the western National Products Expo, many people were interested in our story. A beekeeper in the middle of northern Alberta determined to produce a marketable product.”
Gilbert bought his current location in Guy in 1992 from Gerry Paradis. He explains he built his current vertically integrated food processing and manufacturing plant in 2004.
“I was trying to find a way to add value to raw bulk honey,” says Gilbert, who explains honey is already a finished product. “I came up with the idea for a condiment line made out of honey.”
Gilbert explains he has a team of individuals now helping to market his product line.
He says he hired a graphic designer to create the Honey Bunny logo.
The designer also worked for Starbucks at one time. The designer came up with the Honey Bunny logo and name, while Gilbert decided on the type of packaging.
His wife Sharon proudly explains that Gilbert formulated many of the recipes for the products on his own. She says the ketchup idea stemmed from Gilbert’s love of the condiment.
“I thought about what type of condiment people use in large volumes,” explains Gilbert. “Ketchup was the first thing I thought of.”
After testing various recipes for the ketchup, Gilbert settled on his favourite, the recipe currently used in the line of Honey Bunny products.
When asked where Honey Bunny will go from here, Gilbert simply smiled and answered as any entrepreneur would: “We hope to expand our product line and already have a few ideas in the works.”
Gilbert was discreet about what type of products will be made from the factory in Guy, but he says all products will be made of honey.
For more information about Wolfe Honey or the Honey Bunny line, please call the office at 780-925-2282.
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