There are so many interesting and exciting people and places in Bradenton, yet many don’t receive the attention they truly deserve. Over the next several months, Discover Bradenton will be uncovering Manatee County’s best “hidden gems” – the locals making waves and must-visit places that are some of the area’s best-kept secrets.

This week, we were thrilled to connect with Gayle Goodfriend, owner of Goodfriend Honey Co.

You have such an interesting business! Tell us a bit about it.

I’m a beekeeper. When I harvest honey from my beehives, I sell it, along with food products made with honey, such as Honey Whisky Orange Marmalade, and Honey Glazed Pecans.

I also make skin care products using beeswax and all-natural oils and butters. 

Wow! How did you get started? Tell us about your journey.

I started as a beekeeper over 10 years ago, as a hobby. At the time, I gave away honey to friends and family. But soon, the bees were making more honey than I could give away. And I also started accumulating a lot of beeswax. So I decided to start a business. I’ve been doing this for about 10 months now.

Is your business a family affair, a partnership, or a solo venture? How does this shape your business operations and community interactions?

My business is a solo venture, although my network of friends and customers has been amazing at propelling the business forward through word of mouth and positive reviews. I am so proud that my skincare products have helped so many people and gained such a following!

What is it about your business that you love the most?

I love my bees, and love the fact that my bees are helping the environment, by pollinating plants all around me. I also love making my skincare, because I am able to help people with challenging issues like eczema. My “Bug Bar” is also getting raves as an all-natural insect repellent!

Oohh – these products sound incredible! Where can we find them?

I will be at the Lakewood Ranch Main St Market on The following Saturdays:  October 19th, November 16th, and December 14th, and at the Bradenton downtown market on select Saturdays from November through March. You can also purchase through my website if you’re local, and shipping will be available soon.

You also enjoy giving back to the community, right? Can you share a bit about that?

Everyone loves to talk about bees, and they seem to be a really popular topic right now, so I enjoy giving informative talks about bees and beekeeping. I also love creating baskets for charitable events, and I am currently helping one of our state parks deal with a beehive on their property.

Before we wrap up, is there anything else you would like to share?

I’m really proud and excited to be starting this new endeavor at this stage of my life. I hope I can inspire women so that they see that it is never too late to start something new and creative.  You can do literally anything you have a passion for. Beekeeping is hard physical labor, but I CAN DO HARD THINGS – and so can you!

Gayle Goodfriend, Goodfriend Honey Co.
beekeeper@goodfriendhoney.com * 941-320-1202
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