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Local honey, direct from Castlemaine beekeepers

We're a family business, collecting single-origin honey from Victoria. Each season brings a different harvest, each with a reliable flavour: think buttery Yellow Box, rich Messmate, bold Native Manuka, and more.

We're the McDonald family. Six generations of careful beekeeping.

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100% Pure Australian Honey

Explore our range of varietal honeys and find your favourite

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

“This honey is so pure and natural. It is the best honey I have ever tasted. I drive up from Melbourne just to buy this honey.”

Tony

Pure Beeswax, direct

from our hives

Explore our natural beeswax for candles, crafts, cosmetics and more

Wholesale and Trade

From our hives to your business. Quality honey and beeswax, direct from the beekeeper.

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Wholesale Honey

Premium Victorian honey for retailers who value quality, provenance and something genuinely local.

Become a Stockist

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Bulk Honey

Quality Australian honey supplied in bulk to packers, manufacturers and distributors.

Enquire About Bulk Honey

Bulk Beeswax

High-quality natural beeswax supplied in bulk for manufacturers, makers and artisans.

Enquire About Bulk Wax

VISIT US

The Farm Shop

Open by appointment.
Monday - Friday

15 Sawmill Road, McKenzie Hill VIC 3451

Contact us for an appointment.

The Honey Shack
(self-serve cash sales only)

8am - 6pm, 7 days.

5 Melissa Court, Mckenzie Hill VIC 3451

Follow the signs for 'Honey Sales' from the Pyrenees Hwy.

Queen bees can sometimes be tricky to spot in a hive, but not in this photo!

The queen bee is the mother of everyone in the beehive and she can lay up to 2000 eggs per day 👑 🐝

#honeybees #queenbee #queenrearing #beekeeping

Queen bees can sometimes be tricky to spot in a hive, but not in this photo!

The queen bee is the mother of everyone in the beehive and she can lay up to 2000 eggs per day 👑 🐝

#honeybees #queenbee #queenrearing #beekeeping

Cozy cuppa tea with some natural sweetness ☕
Find every one of our single origin varieties, perfectly paired to your favourite brew @theteadispensary_castlemaine

#honey #tea #shoplocal #philelsonpottery

Cozy cuppa tea with some natural sweetness ☕
Find every one of our single origin varieties, perfectly paired to your favourite brew @theteadispensary_castlemaine

#honey #tea #shoplocal #philelsonpottery

Pure Australian honey, straight from the beekeeper 🍯🐝 #honey #beekeeping #bees

Pure Australian honey, straight from the beekeeper 🍯🐝 #honey #beekeeping #bees

Can you spot our bees all nestled in the Desert? 🐝

During winter we move our bees to warmer area in Victoria so they can enjoy as much sunshine and warmth as they can, while also having a native food source nearby.

Currently they are foraging on the Desert Banksia (Banksia ornata) which can produce a dark stong honey, while also providing a protein rich pollen for the bees!

Can you spot our bees all nestled in the Desert? 🐝

During winter we move our bees to warmer area in Victoria so they can enjoy as much sunshine and warmth as they can, while also having a native food source nearby.

Currently they are foraging on the Desert Banksia (Banksia ornata) which can produce a dark stong honey, while also providing a protein rich pollen for the bees!

🍯 Bring a touch of sweetness to your day with our wonderful Castlemaine honey! 🐝 You can now order your honey through our website and always have a jar of liquid gold on your table. Click the link in bio to get yours today!

#CastlemaineHoney #SweetnessOverload #ShopLocal

🍯 Bring a touch of sweetness to your day with our wonderful Castlemaine honey! 🐝 You can now order your honey through our website and always have a jar of liquid gold on your table. Click the link in bio to get yours today!

#CastlemaineHoney #SweetnessOverload #ShopLocal

Our favourite local honey, Yellow Box is almost here!

The Yellow Box tree (Eucalyptus melliodora) found in Central Victoria is flowering and our bees are collecting its wonderful nectar as we speak.

We're all very excited to have this wonderful honey back in 2024!

Our favourite local honey, Yellow Box is almost here!

The Yellow Box tree (Eucalyptus melliodora) found in Central Victoria is flowering and our bees are collecting its wonderful nectar as we speak.

We're all very excited to have this wonderful honey back in 2024!

Winter shifts out of the Big Desert have begun

Winter shifts out of the Big Desert have begun

We had a little guest watching over us and the bees today #nature #beelyfe

We had a little guest watching over us and the bees today #nature #beelyfe

The busy season has ended and it’s time to start with the fun winter jobs!

We are experimenting with a few flavours of mead featuring some of our varieties of Honey.
The first batch will feature our local Yellow Box (E. melliodora), the second with Old Man Banksia (B. serrata),and our last with Giant Mallee (E. costata, incrassata). The entire team is looking forward to sampling these come Christmas time. #honeybees #meadmaking

The busy season has ended and it’s time to start with the fun winter jobs!

We are experimenting with a few flavours of mead featuring some of our varieties of Honey.
The first batch will feature our local Yellow Box (E. melliodora), the second with Old Man Banksia (B. serrata),and our last with Giant Mallee (E. costata, incrassata). The entire team is looking forward to sampling these come Christmas time. #honeybees #meadmaking

Not your average cargo for the bee mobile…
Last weekend Nic was happy not to be getting stung while loading beds instead of bees onto the truck. Why the unusual cargo you ask? Castlemaine Honey was helping to transport a donation of medical equipment from our local Maldon Hospital to FESIDEV AUSTRALIA. The donated equipment will go to Hope medical clinics and help provide essential medical care in developing nations across Africa.

Not your average cargo for the bee mobile…
Last weekend Nic was happy not to be getting stung while loading beds instead of bees onto the truck. Why the unusual cargo you ask? Castlemaine Honey was helping to transport a donation of medical equipment from our local Maldon Hospital to FESIDEV AUSTRALIA. The donated equipment will go to Hope medical clinics and help provide essential medical care in developing nations across Africa.

We are getting some fresh Yellow Box honey this season at Langi Ghiran (Lar-ne-jeering) ‘Home of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos’, in the language of the Djab Wurrung people.

This was quite a hot summer day, but when the bees are happy so are we!
Special mention to Dave for opting for the T-Shirt. This is not recommended for beekeepers without his level of experience...

We are getting some fresh Yellow Box honey this season at Langi Ghiran (Lar-ne-jeering) ‘Home of the Yellow-tailed Black Cockatoos’, in the language of the Djab Wurrung people.

This was quite a hot summer day, but when the bees are happy so are we!
Special mention to Dave for opting for the T-Shirt. This is not recommended for beekeepers without his level of experience...

McDonald Honey would like to offer their sincerest condolences to the whole Ramsey family on the passing of Mervyn.

Merv was an integral part of the McDonald Honey story for many, many years. He started with Bob and Eileen when he was a 14 year old lad and became part of our family through his many years working with us. He started as a boy, became like a younger brother, grew into a man, was a steadfast friend and colleague throughout and importantly, a mentor to us all.

Mervyn was a fantastic beekeeper whose knowledge and abilities to understand the bees was second to none. He could read a hive and what it needed faster than anyone and was always striving to be better and more efficient in everything he did.

He was an absolutely outstanding person, always thinking and caring for others.

We will sorely miss him.

McDonald Honey would like to offer their sincerest condolences to the whole Ramsey family on the passing of Mervyn.

Merv was an integral part of the McDonald Honey story for many, many years. He started with Bob and Eileen when he was a 14 year old lad and became part of our family through his many years working with us. He started as a boy, became like a younger brother, grew into a man, was a steadfast friend and colleague throughout and importantly, a mentor to us all.

Mervyn was a fantastic beekeeper whose knowledge and abilities to understand the bees was second to none. He could read a hive and what it needed faster than anyone and was always striving to be better and more efficient in everything he did.

He was an absolutely outstanding person, always thinking and caring for others.

We will sorely miss him.

Over the month of August our bees are busy pollinating almond trees in North West Victoria.

Almond trees rely on honeybees to pollinate their flowers to produce fruit, as do many other fruiting trees and plants such as cherries, plums, apples, and avocadoes. 1 in every 3 bites of food we eat relies on honeybee pollination to grow.

So honey isn’t the only treat that bees provide us with!

Over the month of August our bees are busy pollinating almond trees in North West Victoria.

Almond trees rely on honeybees to pollinate their flowers to produce fruit, as do many other fruiting trees and plants such as cherries, plums, apples, and avocadoes. 1 in every 3 bites of food we eat relies on honeybee pollination to grow.

So honey isn’t the only treat that bees provide us with!

Today would have been the 90th birthday of our founder Bob McDonald. Happy Birthday Bob. Ice Cream Cake is on the menu today.

Today would have been the 90th birthday of our founder Bob McDonald. Happy Birthday Bob. Ice Cream Cake is on the menu today.

Our bees spent the start of winter in the Big Desert Wilderness Area in Western Victoria. They forage the Desert Banksia this time of year, which is one of the few nectar sources they can get honey from in Victorian winter.

#honey #beekeeping #bees #castlemaine #castlemainehoney

Our bees spent the start of winter in the Big Desert Wilderness Area in Western Victoria. They forage the Desert Banksia this time of year, which is one of the few nectar sources they can get honey from in Victorian winter.

#honey #beekeeping #bees #castlemaine #castlemainehoney

A drone shot of us driving through the Big Desert Wilderness Area in Western Victoria. As you can see from this perspective, it is a very Big Desert.

#bigdesert #beekeeping #bees #honey #castlemaine #castlemainehoney

A drone shot of us driving through the Big Desert Wilderness Area in Western Victoria. As you can see from this perspective, it is a very Big Desert.

#bigdesert #beekeeping #bees #honey #castlemaine #castlemainehoney

Unloading our bees in the Bronzewing Flora and Fauna Reserve on a typical frosty winter morning in the Mallee

#castlemainehoney #beekeeping #mallee #castlemaine #honey

Unloading our bees in the Bronzewing Flora and Fauna Reserve on a typical frosty winter morning in the Mallee

#castlemainehoney #beekeeping #mallee #castlemaine #honey

Our beautiful founders Bob and Eileen McDonald on a honey flow in Chewton. This is a few seasons ago now.

#yellowboxhoney #castlemainehoney #honey #chewton #castlemaine #beelife #bee

Our beautiful founders Bob and Eileen McDonald on a honey flow in Chewton. This is a few seasons ago now.

#yellowboxhoney #castlemainehoney #honey #chewton #castlemaine #beelife #bee

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