"Did you add something to make it taste like this?"
That's the question visitors most often ask when they taste TranzAlpine Honey for the first time. The intensity of the concentrated flavour—surely something's been added?
The answer is simple: no, nothing has been added, and nothing has been taken away either—no pasteurisation, no ultra-processing, no shortcuts.
"This is the way honey should be," says Yuriy Soshnikov, TranzAlpine's managing director. "It comes from nature, and nature has a lot of flavour. We don't class our products as 'premium'. We class them as 'real' products—the same products I would feed my family and share with my friends."
That philosophy—produce a real product, not a processed commodity—is a good one, making TranzAlpine New Zealand's largest organic honey producer and exporter. Operating from two facilities in Rolleston, the company has built a reputation for organic certification, complete traceability, and uncompromising quality standards while shipping to 30 countries.
Currently, TranzAlpine supplies around 68% of all organic honey exported from New Zealand to the EU. They operate hives scattered from Castle Hill to Banks Peninsula, employing local contractors and seasonal workers who travel from overseas specifically to learn organic beekeeping practices.
Out of more than 6,735 registered beekeepers in New Zealand, only nine hold organic certification. TranzAlpine is one of them—and they've held that certification since 1993, formalising practices that had been their standard for 83 years before that.
Hive Minds: Five Generations of Beekeeping
The business traces back to the Newton family, who started keeping bees in the remote South Island in 1910. With swarms originally collected from the Lyndhurst school bell tower, by the 1930s, the Newtons were producing three tons of honey from 40 hives.
When Yuriy and his wife Victoria acquired TranzAlpine Honey from Derek Newton in 2018, they inherited more than a 108-year-old business—they took responsibility for preserving a legacy. Since then, they've transformed a regional producer into an international exporter. Markets now span from Japan to Saudi Arabia to the United States, with every jar carrying a QR code linking back to the specific hive and location where the honey was harvested—complete traceability from hive to home.
The Organic Difference
The organic philosophy shapes everything. What temperature is used during processing. Whether to pasteurise (they don't) or ultra-process (they don't do that either).
"Keeping honey organic is not difficult," Yuriy explains. "Keeping the bees organic, that's the most difficult part. It's where you place the bees, how much honey you leave for them to survive during the dormant period, how much pollen you ensure they've accumulated. It's about not taking all of the food from them, not being a greedy beekeeper."
The result surprises people who've only tasted ultra-processed honey. "People come to us saying, 'Your honey has too much flavour,'" Yuriy says. "They ask if we added anything to make it so concentrated and fragrant. I just tell them that this is the way honey should be."
The Selwyn Sweet Spot
When TranzAlpine needed to expand beyond their Ashburton facility, Selwyn District offered exactly what they needed. The new Rolleston production facility opened in October 2024, chosen for its central location between hive sites, its proximity to ports and airports, and the skilled workforce moving into the region.
"We wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Selwyn District Council," Yuriy says. "From the land acquisition to working through the building consents, they've supported our growth at every step.”
“The Council is young and growing alongside the population, and that energy shows in how they support local business."
The relationship runs deeper than infrastructure. Yuriy's oldest son serves on the Selwyn Youth Council. The company sponsors the Selwyn District Awards. In November 2024, they backed the HIIT for Hope charity event—an attempt to break the Guinness World record for the largest mass exercise event while raising funds for mental health support.
"We're not just based here, we're invested here," Yuriy says. "My family is deeply involved in Selwyn's community life, and we see Council as a genuine partner in making this district a place where businesses and families both thrive."
The Buzz About What's Next
The Rolleston facility represents more than expansion—it's built for innovation. A second plant is already under construction minutes away, designed specifically for health and wellness products and featuring a Honey Experience Centre opening this April where visitors can taste, learn about, and purchase directly from the producer.
Product development continues alongside construction. In a few weeks, TranzAlpine will launch a new honey sachet range at BioFach in Germany—the world's largest organic expo—designed to make organic Manuka honey more accessible and portable for travellers and athletes.
The company's MGO 1000+ anniversary release represents the pinnacle of their artisan approach. Handcrafted from a remarkable 2020 harvest that produced some of the most active honey they've ever seen, it showcases what's possible when nature, timing, and careful stewardship align. Each jar is made by hand, traceable to its source, and certified to the highest international organic standards.
Most businesses chase scale by cutting corners. TranzAlpine became New Zealand's largest organic honey producer by refusing to—proving that in a world of ultra-processed everything, there's still room for the real thing.