A shop of honey-sweet treats is coming to the Heights neighbourhood, just in time for the holiday season.
On Dec. 3, Honey Hub on the Heights will open at 4347 Hastings St., the third Burnaby business owned by Winston Wong and Ninna Snider.
Wong told the NOW they wanted to put out a collection of Canadian honeys alongside feel-good products.
“It’s edible, it’s gifty, it’s just a small little beautiful store for the holidays,” Wong said.
The store will have about 20 different types of honey, particularly honeys from Western Canada, as well as other products from the hive.
Gifting honey for Christmas
Wong said honey makes a good gift for the holidays because it can be personalized for different tastes.
“One of the reasons honey is a good gift is because it has a lot of different types of flavors, and it can be, you know, a personal, shared experience between two people,” he said.
The honey sold at the Hub will also represent different areas of B.C.
You’ll also be able to find vanilla-infused honey, creamed honey for maximum spreadability, and honey mixed with berries, cacao or cinnamon.
“Every neighbourhood has a different type of forage, different type of planting and blooms at certain times of year,” Wong said. “So our honey from Burnaby will actually taste quite different than honey from the Interior or from Northern B.C. … When the nectar returns to the hive, those flavours are in the honey.”
In addition to honey, Honey Hub stocks beeswax candles, body lotions and soap made from beeswax, as well as products that pair well with honey, such asloose leaf teas, cookie jars, and bee-themed pottery and jewelry.
“These multiple products from the hive are an excellent statement of love and care for others, or yourself,” said Wong.
Honey Hub beginnings and hopes
The idea for the standalone shop is barely a week old — eight days old as of Dec. 1, Wong told the NOW.
“We will sleep in January,” he said, joking.
When the shop space opened up in the middle of Heights, Wong and Snider jumped at the chance.
Wong said the plan later on is to host candle-making classes and wax-wrap-making classes at the back of the store – maybe even beekeeping classes as well.
Wong and Snider are the owners of Muckabout Gift Gallery, a Heights’ staple, where they run BC Bee Supply out the backdoor.
At BC Bee Supply, Wong and Snider also host worm composting workshops for those who don’t want to interact with bees but still want a green hobby.
“We hope this becomes a bit of a ‘hive’ of activity, if you will,” Wong said.
Honey Hub hours until Dec. 24
- Mondays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Tuesdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
- Wednesdays from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
- Fridays from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m.
- Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
- Sundays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
