A little one-one-one moment with Jesinta …

'We’re deeply involved and invested in Honey For Life and we have loved taking on this new chapter together. Instead of simply showing up for a photoshoot or press interview, we now have a seat at the table, working alongside our extraordinary beekeepers and the incredible women in our Western Australian facility who hand-pour every jar of honey. It truly feels like family.

This feels like a legacy, a way to help preserve our natural environment, support the Australian honey industry, care for our bees (the most vital species to human existence) and share the purest, highest-quality honey with Australians and people around the world. It’s been a fun little secret to keep for some time now and we’re so proud to finally share it with you!'

Jesinta Franklin

The Honey For Life family is beyond proud to warmly welcome our new co-owners, Jesinta and Buddy Franklin!

To have found individuals who are as passionate about the creation of bioactive, raw honey, the true craftsmanship that is beekeeping and the importance of protecting our pristine West Australian landscape - plus the global environment at large - is a gift.

There is so much to come, so make sure you sign up for our newsletters & follow us @honeyforlife__ ... to watch this space!

For now, below is an interview with Jesinta so you can get to know the story of how the Franklins fell in love with bioactive honey!

Can you tell us about your earliest memory of honey?

I have two very distinct early memories of honey from my childhood. The first is the smell of it melting into hot porridge on a winter morning, or the way I’d completely cover my Weet-Bix with it as a kid. Life was simple then breakfast was pretty much porridge or Weet-Bix, always finished with a drizzle of honey.

The second memory is from when I was really unwell. I couldn’t swallow vitamins, so Mum would crush them into a fine powder and mix them with honey, then give it to me on a teaspoon. It’s such a vivid, comforting memory. One of those little moments that you always remember.

In terms of raw, bioactive honey - how did you find this golden superfood! Or did you find it?

Health and wellness have always been a big part of my life. Manuka honey has long been a staple for me, especially through the cooler months when colds and flus are doing the rounds. I’ll add it to my morning smoothie or have a teaspoon on an empty stomach; simple, easy, and something I genuinely rely on. It truly is nature’s own superfood.

Now that I have kids, it’s become even more of a go-to, cuts, burns, coughs, colds… it’s always on hand. I always laugh thinking of that scene in My Big Fat Greek Wedding where the grandparents tell everyone to put Windex on everything, that’s me with honey. For everything and everyone.

At home with your gorgeous kids, do you guys use honey in your day-to-day life? If so, please share your secrets!

Every day! The kids love having the honey snaps in their lunchboxes, or during nippers and sport for a little energy boost while they’re running around. I use honey in their smoothies, and if I hear even the smallest cough or sniffle, I’ll give them a spoon of the higher-activity honeys straight. It’s so cute, they can now taste the difference between the honeys, and always know when it’s Manuka or Jarrah because the flavours are so distinct.

I use honey for so many things with the kids: on cuts and minor burns, for coughs and sore throats, stirred into warm water or smoothies, drizzled over their breakfast, mixed with lemon for immunity, in baking and homemade snacks, even on insect bites or little rashy spots as a natural soother.

Other than in smoothies and drizzled over fruit and oats - do you have any 'unique' uses for raw honey?

There are so many unique uses for honey beyond just eating it. A tiny dab makes the best lip and cuticle treatment, hydrating better than most balms. Mixed with clay or yoghurt, it becomes a beautiful face-mask booster that brightens and calms the skin. Adding a spoon to your conditioner gives hair extra shine and moisture and even small amounts of local honey can help support seasonal allergies.

Have you noticed any particular differences in yourself or your kids since incorporating bioactive honey into your day - as opposed to more generic types of snacks?

This winter I gave the kids a teaspoon of Ultra Jarrah TA70+ every morning with their breakfast. It was the first winter none of them came down with the flu. Of course there were other contributing factors, but it was a real eye-opener to just how potent the medicinal varieties of honey can be.

When it comes to snacks, I really notice the difference in the kind of energy honey gives the kids. At most sporting events, packets of lollies or snakes get passed around, but we usually opt for a honey snap instead. The energy boost is steadier, not as extreme, and there’s none of that big crash… or the “crazies” kids tend to get from regular sugar.

You have undertaken such a huge learning journey as this partnership has been unfolding - what is the most surprising thing you have learned about nature, beekeeping or honey?

The journey so far has been incredibly enriching. It really began when Lance and I did our beekeeping course on the Gold Coast, a two-day deep dive that completely opened our eyes. I honestly feel like I’ll be learning about bees and honey for the rest of my life. It’s such a humbling world to step into.

What surprises me most is the duet between the simplicity of nature and the complexity of the bees themselves. Everything they do is so intricate, precise and interconnected, yet it all looks so effortless. There’s just so much depth there and that constant learning is one of the things I love most.

Was there a particular 'lightbulb moment' where you & Buddy thought the Honey For Life partnership was always meant to be?

I first learned about Honey For Life years ago when it launched. I remember talking about it over dinner with a friend and her dad and saying how wonderful I thought the concept was. I was already using Manuka honey most days, so the idea of a brand centred around purity, wellness and nature instantly resonated with me. Little did I know that six or so years later we’d actually become part of the company.

For us, it’s come at a really beautiful time in our lives. We love business and the entrepreneurial side of building something, but we’re also becoming far more conscious about how we spend our time and what we choose to invest in. There’s a rare ecology to this brand, a kind of harmony you don’t often see.

The more successful the brand becomes, the more we have to give back. Usually, in business, it’s the opposite: growth often means using more of the earth’s resources and creating more waste. But here, success means protecting more land, planting more Manuka, and caring for more bees.

It feels incredibly special to be part of something that’s not only good for people, but genuinely good for the planet.

Speaking of Buddy - he's just finished the New York Marathon in collaboration with the wonderful Indigenous Marathon Foundation in a stellar time!! How did the honey affect his training and his race?

For Lance, the moment he knew he wanted to fully immerse himself in Honey For Life came when he started training for the marathon. Long-distance runners often rely on sports gels during their runs, and the impact they have on your stomach is… not great. They’re full of synthetic ingredients, preservatives and, in many cases, high doses of caffeine to create an artificial energy spike… all of which can really unsettle the body.

Lance began using Manuka honey instead for his energy boosts on those long training runs and couldn’t believe the difference. Something so natural, pure and unprocessed gave him exactly what he needed , steady, clean energy without the negative side effects. That was his turning point, realising just how powerful honey can be as real food, real fuel, and real medicine.

Do you have 1 or 2 particular favourite Honey For Life varieties?

I do adore the Jarrah varieties! And our Manuka really is the best in the world.

To finish off - for anyone who is new to bioactive honey, what information and benefits would you love to share with them? For example not many people know it's classed as a superfood!

For anyone new to bioactive honey, the first thing I’d say is that it’s so much more than just a sweetener it’s a true superfood. Bioactive honeys like Manuka and Jarrah have naturally occurring antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory properties, which is why they’ve been used for generations not only as food, but as medicine.

Bioactive honey is incredibly versatile. You can use it in your morning routine, for winter wellness, on cuts and burns, for coughs and sore throats, for energy during sport, or even in skincare. It’s one of those rare things that actually earns its place in the pantry.

And beyond the health benefits, there’s something beautiful about using a product that comes straight from nature, created by bees, with such complexity and purpose. Once you understand what bioactive honey can do, it becomes one of those things you always want to have on hand.

Honey For Life is proud to welcome Jesinta and Lance “Buddy” Franklin as the newest co-owners of our family-run hive - joining us to take bioactive, Western Australian honey to the world.

This partnership marks a bold new chapter in our mission to champion WA’s rare native forests, nurture healthy bee populations and craft some of the purest, most naturally bioactive honeys on earth.

As a family business, everything begins with our focus on origin. Our honey is sourced from remote WA Eucalyptus forests and our own Manuka plantations — landscapes where clean air, rich soils and thriving ecosystems create unmatched quality and genuine wellness benefits. Our
promise has always been simple; respect the land, care for the bees and deliver honey that truly supports people’s wellness.

Jesinta and Buddy share these values. Grounded, community-minded and deeply connected to nature, they bring powerful leadership that amplifies our purpose and helps us share premium WA honey with families across Australia and beyond.

With the duo on board, our standards stay the same - every batch pure, every harvest ethical, every product backed by science and provenance - but our impact grows stronger.

This is more than a partnership. It’s a milestone for Australian wellness and a step forward for the future of sustainable honey.

From WA to the world … we’re only just getting started