F lavours Leisa and Tony Sam, Hum Honey, Peachester, Qld

TAKE BARBARA SWEENEY’S ADVICE AND TRY FRESH WALNUTS AND FOLLOW TOP BYRON BAY FOOD TIPS.

MEET THE PRODUCERS

Leisa and Tony Sam and their son Lincoln, 10, keep bees on the Sunshine Coast. They have a permanent apiary on their 122-hectare farm at Peachester, as well as 12 others in nearby bush — on private land and in forests, anywhere year-round food is present for the bees. Leisa, formerly a veterinary nurse, and Tony, who has a background in pastoral agriculture and an affinity with cattle (he has a small Santa Gertrudis stud), always planned to raise their son and grow their own food in a rural setting, buying the farm in 2009. Leisa’s dad had been a hobby beekeeper, so keeping bees was a natural progression. Their success, however, has taken them by surprise. It all started when a local health food store took them on in 2014 and from there their business, Hum Honey, has grown by word of mouth. “We do this as naturally as possible,” says Leisa. “We always put the hive’s health first.” Hum Honey bottle seasonal eucalypt honey, as well as an infused range that includes turmeric, rose petal and ginger. 0419 769 947; humhoney.com.au