A MOTHER and daughter duo has been converting people across South Australia into honey lovers with their unique and sweet infusion creations.
Since its beginnings mid last year, Sweet Honey Fusions has been experimenting with a huge variety of flavours to create a brand new honey experience.
With the pair’s top sellers including garlic honey and their chocolate fusion, the business has been gaining attention across local hotspots including the Barossa Farmers Market.
Daughter Eilish said the business began after her mum Barb and stepdad ventured into beekeeping.
“They started off with just a couple of hives and quickly grew from there, we’re now sitting at well over 130,” she said.
Having to leave work due to an injury, Barb was determined to turn her honey-hating daughter into a follower of the sweet treat, and decided to experiment with Eilish to create different flavours.
“Honey is something I’ve always wanted to like, but it’s just always been too strong and too sweet for me,” Eilish said.
“Due to some health issues, I needed to change some things in my diet and mum’s always been at me to try their honey.
“Then in doing the infusions, it’s helped me really develop that taste for the honey as well – I’ve been able to switch out the bulk of my sugar intake with all my cooking and baking and things with our honey.”
The pair has since discovered the many health benefits of switching processed sugar with the natural sweetness found in honey, and said they’ve been able to convert others to join their honey-loving hive.
“We have two chocolate flavours that are very popular as Nutella alternatives because they’re nut free,” Eilish said.
“Our strawberry has been very popular as well as a strawberry jam alternative because it’s two ingredients, honey and rehydrated strawberries.
“We were happy to convert a lot of people into honey lovers, myself included.”
Barb also made it clear the business is not shying away from some more “out there” flavours, with their newly introduced smoked chili being among their best sellers.
“A lot of people are unsure when they first hear flavours like the garlic and chilli, but it’s been really popular for things like just sweet garlic bread, putting over your pizzas, in your veggies, like when you’re doing your roast and things like that,” Eilish said.
“People have walked past saying, I’m not a honey person, but I tell them to just do me a favour and try a flavour that looks interesting and to not think of it as honey,” Barb said.
“I have to say, we’ve actually converted quite a lot of people and I love to see the look on their faces as they go ‘oh wow’.
“It’s a really rewarding experience.”
With the business growing to introduce over 20 different flavours of the sweet treat, Eilish said the team has been able to showcase some of the best local produce on offer.
“We try and source everything as local as possible and try and do the least amount of intervention with everything as we can to keep it as natural and organic as healthy,” she said.
“It has been really fun working with the Barossa markets and being able to connect with all the growers and businesses in the area.
“A large part of my childhood was spent growing up in the nature around that area and the hills, so it’s been good to reconnect with the community there.”
Sweet Honey Fusions are now offering free tastings at all future market events which can be found via its Facebook, Instagram and Tiktok page.
