You don't just go into beekeeping it's something you're raised and brought up in and most companies involved with beekeeping are family owned.

The Gum Tree Apiary of Western Australia is no exception – its roots firmly entrenched in traditions that have been passed down through generations of the Koch family to Paul who was raised in the practice of beekeeping in South Africa, so it's not surprising that Paul’s young children are already following in their Dad’s footsteps.

Paul and Desiree Koch, who moved to Sawyers Valley three years ago, maintain a busy schedule keeping up with their young family as well as the bees and Desiree's full time position as director of a global legal business systems consultancy. Besides being an at-home mom, Desiree has been involved in researching and coordinating the establishment of the processing plant - leaving husband Paul free to do what he does best: tend the bees.

“With the establishment of the Gum Tree Apiary, we realized the importance of technology in terms of production, marketing and distribution and set out to ensure that we are able to consistently deliver our purest honey to all corners of the globe,” says Paul. “Our focus is on producing a select range of gourmet honeys from Jarrah to Wildflower, Wandoo, Red Gum and other varietals from the honey extracted from our 400 hives located in the environmentally pristine bushland of Western Australia. We are active members of the Western Australian Beekeepers Association and also belong to the Australian Honey Producers Association.”

The Gum Tree Apiary recently set up a marketing unit in the United Kingdom to service international clients and have begun to supply our export quality Jarrah, Red and York Gum honeys to the UK.

The processing plant in Australia is completed and it is our goal to ensure that we have the necessary resources on hand to ensure a stable and secure supply of all our products to markets in the Middle East, Europe, Asia and Africa. We are licensed with the Australian Department of Agriculture and strive to ensure that our honeys are produced to the highest possible levels of taste, goodness and purity.

Look out for the Gum Tree Apiary’s wonderfully sweet, nutritious delight! Available in your neighbourhood soon.