Honeymeisters originates from is a family business which began in 1960 when founder Robin Jansen began his beekeeping operation in Acacia Bay, Taupo. He learned his trade from his family, who were also beekeepers.
When Acacia Bay Apiaries moved to Poihipi Road in the early 1970s, the business name changed to Taupo Honey Centre and Robin established the small retail store and a honey packing facility from where he exported worldwide.
The business was renamed Honey Village when the popular destination had grown to include numerous other tourist businesses, including pottery, jade factory, souvenir and Maori artifacts, and a chocolate shop.
Robin sold Honey Village but when some time later when the new owners closed the operation down, Robin re-established a honey retail business in the Wairakei Park region. He purchased the old Country Hall of Fame building (still within the Wairakei Park, near Huka Falls) shortly before he died in 1992. The retail store remains in this location and is called Huka Honey Hive.
Robin Jansen’s daughter, Kris Jansen, set up the Kapiti store at the Lindale Centre in 1995 and the Wellington store in 2004.
When Kris and her family moved to the Waimakariri region, just north of Christchurch in 2008, the honey production facility relocated too.
At present, Honeymeisters product is only available at Taupo, Wellington and Kapiti stores, as well as this website. It is planned that more Honeymeisters stores will open soon.
