Those who drive through Exeter regularly would have seen much honey-themed construction during the past few months as Honey Tasmania completed its move from its city-based shop to the Tamar Valley.
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The Beehive on Main Road, Exeter, is immediately recognisable from the artistic metal facade.
Exeter resident Jim Doughty used a plasma cutter to crafts the metal and bring Tristan and Rebecca Campbell’s Honey Tasmania theme to life.
“Jim did the rubbish bins in Exeter and we liked what he had done,” Mrs Campbell said.
“We had a drawing that we wanted to use depicting the rainforest and three types of hives. We feel very strongly about connecting to Tasmania’s rainforest.”
The facade was constructed in three panels and then welded together on site.
Honey Tasmania’s Beehive shop and factory have now been open for a month, with work continuing outside in readiness for spring trade.
“We’ve finished the front with planter boxes filled with bee-friendly plants,” Mrs Campbell said.
Tamar Valley residents and tourists have been dropping in to see the bigger space and buy Honey Tasmania’s leatherwood, along with other honeys and bee-related items.
“Leatherwood is our biggest seller,” Mrs Campbell said.
“Lots of people find it too strong, but that’s because they’ve had leatherwood that has been overheated and over processed.
“Our leatherwood is unheated so still has all those subtle flavours. It’s a taste of the rainforest.”
Honey Tasmania moved from its small store in The Quadrant in Launceston to the more spacious Exeter shop and factory, but the business still has a city presence at the weekly Harvest Launceston market.
“We have the shop and factory at the same location and extract and bottle the honey out the back,” Mrs Campbell said.
“We can do what we want here to showcase the bees.”
While the Campbells are enjoying the greater retail space, their Exeter location has other selling points too.
“We love the Tamar Valley and settled here when we moved to Tasmania in 2000, and this is home to most of our hives over the winter and part of spring,” Mrs Campbell said.
“We wanted The Beehive to complement other attractions in the area, like the mine, Seahorse World, Platypus House and the Tamar Valley wineries,” she said.
The Beehive is open at 124 Main Road, Exeter, between 10am and 4.30pm on weekdays and 10am and 2pm on Saturdays.
Johanna Baker-Dowdell
Johanna has more than 22 years experience as a journalist for newspapers, magazines and online publications.
Johanna has more than 22 years experience as a journalist for newspapers, magazines and online publications.
