The HIVE’s grand opening a huge step for Woodland business
The HIVE held its grand opening this past weekend and welcomed roughly a thousand people for a weekend of entertainment, honey and mead — an alcoholic beverage made with fermented honey — tastings, tours of the garden and its facility and local vendors.
Joshua Zeldner, nectar director for Z Specialty Food, said the Saturday and Sunday event gave him butterflies because the sound of live music pumping through the courtyard and hundreds of people enjoying themselves made it feel real.
“It was just so beautiful to have people hanging out and dancing to music,” he emphasized.
Z Specialty Food has come a long way in recent years and the opening of its new facility at 1221 Harter Ave. marks a new beginning for the long-standing, family-owned business that was started by Joshua’s father, Ishai Zeldner, who died of cancer in 2018.
“There are a lot of people in my life telling me that he’d be really proud of what we’ve built today,” Joshua stated.
He thanked the community for showing up and supporting the business and being excited about what they have to offer. He recommends people join their newsletter, check out their website and follow them on social media to stay tuned for anything that comes next throughout the year.
Ben Wilson, warehouse manager for Z Specialty Food, said this is a very exciting thing for the business.
“We were working out of a warehouse for a number of years that was less than attractive,” he stressed. “So this is a big deal to go from where his father started the business into this place.”
Wilson said he always liked honey growing up but that his time with the business has surprised him.
“You come to work in a place like this and the number of varieties of honey that are produced is pretty astounding,” he highlighted.
Jennifer Hogan, environmental program manager for the state’s department of water resources, said she was amazed by the options of honey and mead the business offered. She purchased a lavender product from one of the vendors at the event.
“I like supporting small businesses as well so that kind of warms my heart to be able to do that,” Hogan said. “This is the beginning of something good.”
Austin Sobon attended the event because he’s a huge fan of the honey they sell and has been buying it for many years and to try their mead. “I make wine for my family’s company so it’s cool to try mead because I’ve never had real good mead,” he said.
Sobon said he will be returning to get honey for his family as Christmas presents.
“They usually do like 25% off deals and I stock up for the whole year because it doesn’t go bad, so I might as well get it when it’s on sale,” he added.
He recommends people try the Meadowfoam Honey they sell, which is one of the business’s most popular kinds of honey.
The large outdoor space and the tasting room will also be available for private events and gatherings in the future. Anyone interested should email liz@ zspecialtyfood.com.