“Darlings Honey was born out of an unfortunate incident. Right before the pandemic hit, a family member was diagnosed with cancer,” Danielle and Lewin Pee recalled.
“At the time, we were debating on treatment options and were keen to explore more natural alternatives. Several of our friends had recommended consuming stingless bee honey (or better known locally as kelulut honey).”
It’s simple to comb the advice off as an impaired better halves story, however clinical research have proven that kelulut honey has diverse condition advantages. As an example, it has higher antioxidant capability and anti inflammatory results in comparison to alternative sorts of honey.
Believing that those advantages may assistance most cancers sufferers, Danielle and Lewin had been greater than keen to present it a struggle.
However the problem was once that the majority honey merchandise available on the market had pointless added components like sugars. Actually, The Straits Occasions reported that Dr Zulkifli Mustafa, a senior teacher at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), discovered 90% of honey merchandise bought in Malaysia had been pretend.
It’s a staggering quantity bearing in mind that many locals acquire honey from gather cabinets for a more fit way of life.
Having finished their analysis and realising that no longer many population knew of kelulut honey’s advantages, the sisters determined to origination a logo highlighting the native gem. Thus, marking the start in their folk industry.
From the jungles of Johor to the Klang Valley
Darlings Honey lives through a “Forest to Bottle” idea, the place each and every bottle accommodates handiest uncooked and natural harvests from their stingless bee farm in Kota Tinggi, Johor. “As such, it’s organic and the bees are free to gather nectar from wildflowers and the multitude of fruits available in the forest,” they defined.
So don’t be shocked whilst you realize that incorrect two bottles are the similar color or style. Those elements closely rely at the season and range in line with the forms of culmination and vegetation the bees bundle nectar from.
It’s additionally reported that wild honey may be cloudier and will crystallise simply, which doesn’t at all times glance as interesting. However the place it lacks in aesthetics, it makes up for in condition advantages.
The siblings paintings with native villagers who assistance take charge of the bees and harvest the honey from tree trunks. This partnership serves as their means of supporting the native financial system future additionally making sure that the kelulut honey is of top class feature.
Elaborating in this, Danielle and Lewin defined that they steer clear of industrial modes of acquiring honey. The emblem doesn’t transplant bees into man-made farmlands for the sake of lump manufacturing. The pair shared that doing so permits them to get extra beneficial and concentrated honey.
To safeguard shoppers that they’re getting unique kelulut honey, each and every dozen of goods undergoes trying out through the Malaysia Genome Institute (MGI). It is because they’ve spotted that there are some dealers of kelulut honey who both don’t have certification, or handiest ship their honey for trying out when the industry first opens.
“In fact, some brands might produce one batch of pure honey just for testing, while the subsequent batches are fake honey or have added sugars mixed in,” the siblings shared.
Retaining the availability petite for sustainability
One alternative means shoppers can authenticate Darlings Honey’s merchandise is from their stock dimension. In line with Danielle and Lewin, stingless bee hives can handiest be harvested two instances a date.
This appears to be supported through Dr Zulkifli Mustafa as smartly, who instructed The Celebrity that stingless bees can build a mean of 3kg of honey in line with colony each and every date. For context, it’s at the decrease finish of the spectrum as some bee species can normally build as much as 27kg or extra in line with colony.
As such, Darlings Honey handiest harvests in petite, unique batches to steer clear of overharvesting. “If we want to increase our supply in the future, we will need to cultivate more hives,” they stated.
It takes roughly two months to reap plethora honey from a hive for a unmarried 500ml bottle of Darlings Honey. A part of its Drink Order, shoppers can drink the honey by itself or significance it to marinate meats and salads.
There are 3 diversifications of honey to be had:
Obsidian New (RM199), which is the logo’s unused honey
Alexandrite Pace Elderly (RM249), a darker colored honey that’s elderly at an overly particular temperature to turn on and preserve the wholesome enzymes
Blue Diamond Barrel Elderly (RM299), which is elderly in French Oak Plank virgin barrels for as much as a date to turn on much more enzymes
But even so that, Darlings Honey offer a Satchel Order the place their Obsidian New honey is packaged in petite pouches. They’re bought in farmlands of 15 items (RM129) and 30 items (RM239). The handy packaging is supposed to permit shoppers to hold them anywhere they walk, so this may be a very easy resolution when you’re having a look to interchange sugar.
There’s additionally a Fitness Order that includes stingless bee propolis essence serum that’s bought in two bottled diversifications: 5ml for RM88 and 10ml for RM138.
To develop international consciousness for kelulut honey
Recently all in their merchandise can also be purchased both on-line thru their website online or at partnering retail outlets. This contains over 30 pharmacies and stores around the Klang Valley.
Now and again, you could even in finding them in flea markets, pop-up occasions, and even meals gala’s and industry displays. Consumers in Singapore and Thailand can get their fingers on Darlings Honey pieces from native vendors like Ittha Boutique Cafe.
Past Asia, Danielle and Lewin shared that they’re making plans to introduce the logo to Eu markets as smartly. “They’re big consumers of honey and don’t have ready access to stingless bee honey, which isn’t commonly found in Europe.”
However even nearer to house, their purpose is to form extra consciousness for kelulut honey. The rage in superfoods has critically picked up lately with a get up in call for for kombucha. So that they wish to familiarise Malaysians with their very own superfood too.
Convincing customers shouldn’t be too difficult as honey has already made a reputation for itself thru its condition houses. Turning into an international logo in the sort of aggressive marketplace, although, gained’t be as simple.
Then again, the sisters are constructive about their possibilities, particularly since they’re each skilled within the industry farmland. When the ones come to fruition, the sisters stated, “Then we’ll know we’ve made it.”
Be told extra about Darlings Honey right here.
Learn alternative articles we’ve written about Malaysian startups right here.
Featured Symbol Credit score: Darlings Honey
