Gibbs Honey Sommelier redefining beekeeping experiences in Vankleek Hill

Gibbs Honey in Vankleek Hill is providing a one-of-a-kind, hands-on experience that fosters awareness and care of bees, as well as the nuances of flavourful honey. Andrea Glenn and Russell Gibbs are aiming to give honey its due - elevating it from a commodity to something to savour and appreciate.

Gibbs Honey celebrated its 90th anniversary last year, having been established in 1934. Now, Gibbs and Glenn are keeping the tradition alive, while inspiring guests with visitor experiences that focus on taste and understanding. Their raw honey is produced only by their bees, and they’re keen to share their knowledge through a mix of tradition and modernity to explore honey and its products.

To that end, Glenn recently became one of Canada’s first fully-certified Honey Sommeliers, admitted to the Italian National Register of Experts in the Sensory Analysis of Honey. Having studied in the United States and Italy, she earned her designation after an intense international study and examination process. That translates into a unique experience for visitors at their farm in Vankleek Hill, with Andrea able to draw on her expertise to give inspired honey tastings.

A look back…

Gibbs was working in graphic design and Glenn as a literary agent in Toronto, with Gibbs keeping multiple hives around the Hamilton area. His uncles were running the business and ready to pass the torch, so they packed up and found property in Vankleek Hill just minutes away from the original homestead. After learning from Tim and Peter for their first season, Gibbs and Glenn found their wings and flew straight into beekeeping and producing honey full-time. 

When they took it over, the honey was being sold in bulk, which meant other businesses were packaging it and selling it as their own. While continuing the Gibbs legacy of quality, the focus has since shifted to share Gibbs Honey as uniquely their own, in the community and beyond. Not only is it sold in Whole Foods now, but also through fine restaurants, at the farm and their online store. 

“It’s nice to have a product which people know is purely Gibbs Honey when they’re enjoying and experiencing it,” she said, noting they’re now only selling the honey that they make, which means they know how their bees are treated, their locations and where they’re foraging. 

They currently have more than 300 hives on diverse yards at local, organic and regenerative farms, taking in forests, meadows, and natural pastures all located within 30 km of the family farm.

“Many people don’t know that honey varies in flavour based on terroir,” she said, adding that becoming a honey sommelier fit perfectly with their goals for Gibbs Honey.

Tasting Experiences

Guests learn the art of honey tasting with Glenn, tasting a carefully curated selection of single varietal honeys from around the world, then learning tasting methods to explore how different flowers and terroir give each honey a distinct flavour. They even get the opportunity to sample Gibbs’ new non-alcoholic aperitif, Mielo.

Glenn said it provides a level of knowledge that doesn’t exist here, while building vocabulary around describing the taste of honey with language, elevating the concept of it having multi-layer flavour profiles.

The tasting experience can also be paired with an immersive tour of their home apiary, hives, honey house and wildflower meadows. The experience includes seeing the dance of the bees, queen spotting, finding eggs, using a smoker and opening the humming hive and carefully handling the frames.

“It’s a unique, very hands-on experience; special to Ontario,” Glenn said. “Everyone gets to pass the frames around, and we tailor the experience to the small groups. It’s important to us that this inspires people to taste more honey as they travel - find those local producers to experience the nuances of honey from different places.”

Gibbs and Glenn are now looking ahead to taking the third-generation business past its century milestone, honoured to be continuing the family tradition of beekeeping. “We have generations of knowledge behind us and we’re hoping to take it past the 100-year mark in 2034 by building the brand while staying true to its roots,” she said.

In doing so, they’re launching new products that use their honey, to diversify what they’re selling. In addition to their raw, pure and unprocessed liquid honey, whipped honey, hopped honey and propolis, Gibbs recently launched Mielo, a new all-natural non-alcoholic drink infused with herbs. Keep an eye on the Gibbs Honey online shop to see what else is available!

Want to learn more? Visit the Gibbs Honey Farm Store at 501 MacCallums Lane in Vankleek Hill, or book in for a Tasting with a Honey Sommelier and Beekeeping Experience. Visit online at gibbshoney.com or follow along on Facebook and Instagram @gibbshoney.