Gavin’s Apiaries: Investing in Testing to Meet the Global Market
For Liam Gavin, Managing Director of Gavin’s Apiaries, staying ahead of the curve isn’t just about producing high-quality honey - it’s about proving it. In an industry where global buyers are increasingly focused on transparency, traceability, and authenticity, Liam has made testing a central part of the business.
Gavin’s Apiaries is a fourth-generation, family-owned business that has been commercially producing honey in New Zealand for 113 years. Today, the operation runs between 1,000 and 1,200 beehives, maintaining a steady scale even through the peak of the mānuka boom.
Rather than chasing volume, the team has remained focused on producing high-grade honey with integrity. The beekeeping crew includes three full-time staff dedicated to hive management, with additional seasonal workers brought on during the harvest period to support the workload.
Liam stays at the forefront of honey testing by working closely with industry leaders Mānuka Orchard and Hill Labs, ensuring the business is always up to date with the latest developments. This proactive approach helps Gavin’s Apiaries respond to evolving market demands and maintain its reputation for premium mānuka honey.
Strategic Testing for Quality Assurance
One area of growing interest among international buyers is diastase testing, Liam notes. Diastase is an enzyme that naturally occurs in honey and degrades over time, especially when exposed to heat. It’s increasingly used as an indicator of honey’s freshness and handling.
Gavin’s Apiaries consistently achieve high diastase results between 25 and 36, which Liam says helps reinforce the integrity of their product and meet buyer expectations.
“It seems hard to keep doing it [testing], but for us, it's paid off in no time by having all of the data that the buyers want.”
While compliance remains essential, Liam leverages testing not just to meet standards, but to inform decisions and safeguard product value over time.
When honey moves more slowly through the supply chain, Liam has to carefully consider what to invest in testing. This means monitoring the MGO to DHA ratio more frequently to determine when to send batches to Mānuka Orchard for storage at the right temperature.
Technology and Efficiency in the Field
Technology plays a key role as a beekeeper while managing operations in the field. Liam values fast turnaround times and accessible reporting and Hill Labs provides testing services with results in a format that works for him - all on his phone.
“I love the way that it's reported with everything on one sheet so that you're not trying to save multiple files. I'm all for having all of that access via my phone. I pretty much run all my emails and all the info sheets that come through from there.”
Utilising technology in conjunction with lab analysis helps Gavin’s Apiaries to solve problems and drive decisions. Liam noted that using the third-party app MyApiary helps monitor hive data and track environmental exposure for hive management.
“If we have a spike in glyphosate, for example, we can track back to where those beehives have been for two years.
They may have sprayed lots of glyphosate during winter, that’s very hard to trace if you're using a book. So that's probably a good cross between technology and lab analysis. By doing that, we can possibly figure out they were beside freshly cut pine trees.”
Gavin’s Apiaries’ investment in testing is more than a quality control measure; it’s a strategic response to global market expectations. By embracing testing and technology, Liam Gavin is reinforcing the premium reputation of New Zealand honey and ensuring Gavin’s Apiaries continues to demonstrate authenticity.
