Honey innovator Melbio has announced it is launching Melody, the “world’s first” plant-based honey brand that tastes like bee honey. Created to provide restaurants and consumers with a sustainable alternative to bee-made honey, Melody is said to perform just as well as the original while improving the health of the planet.
“We hope to help restore ecological harmony and make room for native pollinators.”
Melody recently debuted at Natural Products Expo West, and will launch exclusively at eleven Madison Park for World Bees US foodservice locations, including Baya (San Francisco), Little Chuck Apothecary (NYC) and Motel Fried Chicken (Philadelphia). day.
MeliBio says its plant-based honey solves urgent problems facing both the commercial honey industry and natural ecosystems. Native bees are important for food production and biodiversity conservation, but are under increasing pressure due to intense competition from non-native European honey bees.
European launch
The company said that while some food categories have seen the entry of many plant-based brands, honey is one area that has seriously lacked innovation. In November, MeliBio raised $2.2M from investors and partner With Narayan Foods, a leader in organic foods, to launch plant-based honey in 75,000 European stores. To date, Melibo has raised $9.4M in funding.
In the US, traditional honey sales are set to double-digit in 2022, reaching $920 million.
“Not many people are aware of the issues surrounding commercial honey production and its impact on the 4,000 native bees in the U.S.,” said Darko Mandich, CEO and co-founder of Melibio. “By providing restaurants and consumers with a delicious and sustainable alternative, we help restore ecological harmony and Hope to help make room for native pollinators.”