Jewelle Lloyd: The Queen Bee of Ōhope
Printed in the Whakatane Beacon & Opotiki News 29th May 2026
On the surface, Ōhope Beach is known for surf, sunshine and long stretches of sand. But tucked quietly behind the relaxed coastal lifestyle is a woman whose life revolves around one of nature’s most extraordinary creatures, the honeybee.
For local honey producer Jewelle Lloyd, bees are not simply livestock or a business venture. They are part of her family history, part of her daily rhythm, and very much part of who she is. Jewelle laughs when she admits she may be slightly obsessed with bees. Bee earrings. Bee socks. Bee-themed gifts. Bee conversations. “I just love them,” she says simply. And after spending time hearing her story, it becomes obvious this is not a passing hobby. Beekeeping is woven through generations of her family.
Jewelle’s earliest memories are tied to her grandmother’s homestead and the hives that stood in the garden, walking distance from the back door. While many children may have kept a cautious distance, Jewelle was fascinated. Her grandmother used honey straight from the hives and treated the bees with enormous respect. She spoke to them often, chatting as she moved around the property. To some, that may sound whimsical. But experienced beekeepers understand that calm energy around bees matters. And Jewelle’s grandmother was calm, she didn’t even bother with a bee keepers’ suit, stings were very rare. Jewelle remembers watching closely, asking endless childlike questions, and quietly absorbing knowledge through observation. “My brothers weren’t interested in the bees at all,” she recalls. “But I was always curious.” That curiosity stayed with her into adulthood.
Now, decades later, the next generation is beginning to circle back too. Her sons, now grown with families of their own, are starting to show interest in the bees and the craft that has travelled down through the family line. A cousin is well established in the bee world, working in kiwifruit pollination.
In many ways, the bees have continued to call the family home.
Today, Jewelle manages around 15 hives on a coastal farm in the Bay of Plenty and another 15 hives located on her partner’s farm near Gisborne. The two locations offer different landscapes, different flowering plants and different honey characteristics.
Unlike some larger commercial operations, Jewelle keeps her system intentionally personal and hands-on. One of the most important aspects of her beekeeping practice is raising her own queen bees independently. This is no small undertaking. The queen bee is the heart of the hive. Her genetics influence temperament, productivity, disease resistance and overall colony strength. By breeding and selecting her own queens, Jewelle maintains close oversight of the lineage within her hives. “It means I know exactly where my queens have come from,” she explains. “I can monitor strength, temperament and disease resistance much more closely.” Each year, she introduces a new queen into her hives to maintain vitality and healthy colony performance. In the beekeeping world, strong queens are critical for long-term hive resilience. This careful approach reflects a growing movement among smaller New Zealand beekeepers who prioritise hive health and sustainability over mass production.
The coastal Bay of Plenty environment provides bees with a rich and varied food source. Depending on the season, bees forage across native and introduced flowering plants, including clover, pōhutukawa, mānuka, wildflowers and coastal species. This diversity contributes to the flavour profile and nutritional complexity of locally produced honey. Meanwhile, the Gisborne hives experience a slightly different climate and floral environment, creating unique variations in the honey harvested there as well.
Honey is far more than a sweetener. Raw honey contains trace enzymes, antioxidants, plant compounds and naturally occurring antibacterial properties. Many New Zealand honeys, especially those containing mānuka pollen, have become internationally recognised for their medicinal value.
Raw honey has traditionally been used to soothe sore throats, calm coughs, support wound healing and provide quick natural energy. Research also suggests certain honeys may assist in reducing bacterial growth due to naturally occurring hydrogen peroxide activity and other bioactive compounds.
Jewelle’s honey is sold raw, meaning it is minimally processed and not heavily heat treated.
This matters. When honey is excessively heated, some delicate enzymes and beneficial compounds are reduced or eliminated. Raw honey retains more of its natural character, flavour and complexity. It may crystallise over time, something many consumers wrongly assume is a flaw, but crystallisation is actually a natural sign of minimally processed honey.
While Jewelle carefully manages the hives herself, she sends the honey frames away for extraction once they are ready for harvest. Extraction is a specialised process where honey-filled frames are spun to remove the honey without destroying the wax comb structure. The honey is then filtered lightly and jarred. And nothing goes to waste. Alongside honey sales, Jewelle sells beeswax, another highly valued hive product used in candles, skincare products, balms and wraps.
The circular nature of beekeeping appeals strongly to many small-scale producers. Bees pollinate crops and gardens, produce honey, create wax and contribute enormously to biodiversity and food systems. Without pollinators, much of our food supply would struggle.
Modern beekeeping is not without challenges. Across the world, bee populations face increasing pressure from habitat loss, pesticide exposure, climate instability and disease. In New Zealand, varroa mite management remains one of the largest ongoing concerns for beekeepers. Monitoring hive health requires constant attention and proactive management. This is another reason Jewelle values independently raising her queens and maintaining close observation of her colonies. Healthy bees are not accidental.
Good beekeeping requires patience, consistency and respect for the natural behaviour of the hive.
Jewelle’s connection to the bees also reflects something increasingly important within the organic and regenerative food movement, relationship. Small local producers often know their land intimately. They observe flowering cycles, seasonal changes and environmental stressors in ways industrial systems simply cannot. That connection shows up in the final product.
Outside the hives, Jewelle’s ‘day job’ is teaching hair dressing at Whakatane’s Toi Ohomai Institute of Technology. It may seem worlds apart from beekeeping, but there are surprising similarities. Both require patience, creativity, steady hands and strong people skills. And while teaching may pay the bills, the bees clearly feed something deeper.
At local markets, Jewelle lights up when talking about hive behaviour, queen development and seasonal honey changes. Customers quickly realise they are buying from someone deeply connected to her craft.
Her honey can often be found at the Whakatāne Sunday Market, and is on the shelves of Whakatane Fresh Market, Ōhope’s Moxi Café, the Port Ōhope Store, Matawai Camp Store and Gisborne’s Ormond Road Cafe or directly from Jewelle iamjewelle@hotmail.com or 0274 260 985
For many buyers, purchasing local honey is about more than taste. It supports regional food resilience, small-scale producers and the protection of pollinator populations. And in Jewelle’s case, every jar carries a story that stretches back generations, from a grandmother chatting to bees near the front door of a homestead, to a passionate beekeeper in Ōhope continuing the tradition today.
In a fast-moving world, there is something reassuring about that continuity.
One woman.
Thirty hives.
Thousands upon thousands of bees.
And a lifelong love affair with our smallest pollinators and honey producers.
If you would like my free PDF Medicinal Honey Recipes, including simple ways to use raw honey for wellness, soothing winter tonics and nourishing kitchen remedies, email me at paulasharp31@icloud.
Important: Honey should not be given to babies under 12 months of age.
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