An Exclusive Interview with Elena Brambilla, Founder of Manuka Royale

Manuka Royale is an exclusive, high-grade honey brand known as New Zealand’s liquid gold. They have recently been crowned by the experts at Luxury Lifestyle Awards for Best Luxury Honey in The World. We spoke with Elena Brambilla, founder of Manuka Royale, about her company’s philosophy, the honey industry in New Zealand, and the positive difference they are making in their community.

Luxury Lifestyle Awards: Thanks for taking the time to meet with us, Elena. Tell us about the current high-grade honey industry in New Zealand?

Elena Brambilla: New Zealand is famous worldwide for its unique and pristine honey, Manuka Honey. This high-grade honey has been used by the Maori for centuries thanks to its healing properties, but it is only in recent times that these qualities have been scientifically proved, making Manuka Honey one of the most famous products from New Zealand.

LLA: Tell us a little bit about your journey as the founding partner. When did you establish Manuka Royale?

Elena Brambilla: Manuka Royale was founded in 2020 by my partner and me, both of us ex-professional athletes, biotechnology, and sports scientists. Our career in athletics has ingrained in us the zeal to strive for the highest level. We wanted to transform all our energy into a healthy, life-improving product that would positively impact the planet, the local communities, and their customers. Manuka honey, therefore, was the ideal starting point: it is the only food that is produced without killing any other plant or animal, in addition, we sourced the highest grade UMF-certified honey from small local farms in the wild pristine areas. From this foundation, we then looked at the whole supply chain for opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint on the environment.

LLA: Manuka Royale is known for being as environmentally friendly as possible. What rules do you implement to reduce your company’s environmental footprint?

Elena Brambilla: The production of manuka honey is generally a low-carbon non-polluting process, and living around the small bee-keeping communities helped the couple to reduce this further. Manuka Royale is minimally processed to preserve the natural bioactive compounds and beneficial enzymes, which are depleted by heating.

LLA: We know about your delicious and high-grade honey. Do you have any other products that you are working on for the future?

Elena Brambilla: We are introducing a line of bee wax-based products (candles, bee wax wraps) and high-quality delicacies like awarded olive oil and manuka tea.

LLA: Who or what was the inspiration behind Manuka Royale?

Elena Brambilla: Our personal story and background, the love for this country and its nature, and the increasing need for finding pure natural products which are really good for you and have a low impact on the environment without forgetting the essential aspect of quality and true scientific research brought us to open Manuka Royale. Our aim is to offer to the world a product that is sustainable, pure, eco-friendly, but still active and that does what it states to do.

LLA: How imperative is excellence in client service to Manuka Royale?

Elena Brambilla: Customer service is one of our priorities. We believe in delivering quality in every step of our work, being present for our customers, and always ready to answer any question, any time.

LLA: Do you supply your products on a global or local scale?

Elena Brambilla: We sell globally focusing on Europe, the USA, and Japan.

LLA: Tell us how Manuka Royale has had a positive impact on your community?

Elena Brambilla: We work with the small local beekeeping communities in New Zealand in a way that benefits and sustains the whole community. Our profit, success, and growth are channeled into positive change. Manuka Royale supports the beekeeper families with fair wages and mutual collaboration to obtain not only the best honey but also the happiest people.

 

LLA: What environmental factors influence your honey production the most?

Elena Brambilla: Honey is produced by the work of the Honey Bees, so any environmental factor which can interfere with their fly and pollen collection is a key factor in the production. The Manuka tree is flowering for a maximum of 6 weeks a year, limiting, even more, the time the bees have to collect the pollen. Placing the hives at the right time and choosing the most pristine places is the secret not only to producing Manuka Honey but also to producing high-quality Manuka Honey.

LLA: What future projections do you see for Manuka Royale’s development and are there any exciting ventures that you are working towards?

Elena Brambilla: Alongside expanding our product range, we are aiming to become the first Manuka Honey company in the world with a zero-carbon footprint.

LLA: What are your main values at Manuka Royale?

Elena Brambilla: All ingredients are naturally sourced by the best Kiwi beekeepers and farmers who love honey-making. From source to shipping, the entire supply chain is made of people passionate about the environment and their people. Respect and protection of nature are core values in our company, alongside quality and care for the customers.

LLA: Lastly, how do you feel about winning a Luxury Lifestyle Award?

Elena Brambilla: This award is a big achievement for our team, our beekeepers, and our nation. Manuka Royale follows the highest quality standards to bring luxury and healthy products to your table and receiving this award is a reorganization of our work, pushing us to do even better and continuously higher our standards.

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