One day in 1999, Katie Sanchez set out to make a less sweet version of apple jelly. Being a novice with jelly, Katie accidentally created something that was definitely not what she intended. But not wanting to be wasteful, she “canned” it only to discover in the morning, that what she had was honee. This was the start of Bee Free Honee, a 100% plant-based, sustainable, honey substitute made from certified organic apples, lemon juice, and cane sugar. Bee Free Honee offers a solution for those who suffer from allergies to honey, young children, vegans and helps honeybees continue to live freely. Katie lives in Plymouth, MN with her husband, son and daughter. She’s been working on the business for ten years, and loves to see how far it has come since the first bottles of Bee Free Honee were put on shelves in three local stores in 2011.
Proudest Professional Accomplishment: “I was told I couldn't do this and I’d never get the product on the shelf. When I got it on the shelf in 2011 in three stores, I was told that it was local and I would never get it out of the Twin Cities. When I expanded to the Midwest region, I was told that I was still really small and that the national platform was impossible. We went national in 2013, can be found in Alaska and Hawaii, and we get very regular requests from Canada, Australia and Germany to export. I love it when people tell me I can't do something. It is exactly what I need to ensure I do.”
photo courtesy of Katie Sanchez
