Meet the Lambton County family who's been beekeeping for 5 generations

CBC
·3-min read

For 110 years, Munro Honey & Meadery has been making a buzz in Lambton County.

And now, its owners are being recognized as 2024 inductees into the Lambton Agricultural Hall of Fame.

From pollinating crops to making mead, brothers Davis and John Bryans and their wives Mary and Chris run the operation — with about 2,500 bee colonies.

"It's a real honour," said John Bryans, whose family has been beekeeping in southern Ontario for five generations. "It definitely was a surprise that we were even on the radar to be nominated into the [Agricultural] Hall of Fame."

John, Chris, Mary and Davis Bryans run Munro Honey and Meadery in Alvinston.
John, Chris, Mary and Davis Bryans run Munro Honey and Meadery in Alvinston. (Submitted by Munro Honey)

Brothers John and Davis Bryans have headed the business since 1989, when they took it over from their father Howard, who owned it for more than 30 years. The founder of Munro Honey was Warren Munro, of Alvinston, who had started the apiary in 1914, but died in a car crash.

After the brothers took over the business, they had a fire and had to rebuild, said John. It was then they decided to push forward. "We said to one another then, 'Where do you want to be in this business? Do we want to be leading or following?' And so, we decided to lead and just try different things."

The brothers expanded the business — getting their honey into more grocery chains, starting their own beekeeping supplies to hobbyists — and launched Ontario's first commercial meadery.

Brothers John Bryans and Davis Bryans in 1963.
Brothers John Bryans and Davis Bryans in 1963. (Submitted by Munro Honey)

Mead, a fermented alcoholic beverage, is made out of honey, water and yeast.

"It's kind of its own thing," said John. "It can be on the sweeter side, getting fruity flavours, but the taste depends on what the bees are foraging, and that's what makes a difference in the (flavour) profile at the end."

A selection of Munro Honey's session meads that are available in cranberry, blueberry and raspberry flavours.
A selection of Munro Honey's session meads that are available in cranberry, blueberry and raspberry flavours. (Submitted by Munro Honey)

LISTEN: Beekeepers inducted into Lambton County's Agricultural Hall of Fame

Keeping bees has become increasingly labour intensive and challenging in recent years, John said. From parasites to diseases and environmental stressers, there seems to be more and more issues that are harmful to bees, he said.

But that doesn't stop the busy-bee brothers. In addition to making honey, the company offers a field-pollinating service to help farmers increase crops and improve crop quality, John said

Munro Honey products are available in major grocery stores chains across Ontario, said owner John Bryans.
Munro Honey products are available in major grocery stores chains across Ontario, said owner John Bryans. (Submitted by Munro Honey)

"Farmer will call and say, 'Hey, I need bees to pollinate my apples or my cherries or cucumbers, pumpkin, squash, whatever the crop may be,'" John said. "We'll put the bees into the field or the orchard and when that crop is in bloom, the bees will do their thing to help pollinate the crop."

The hall of fame is celebrates contributions of people who made a significant contribution to agriculture in Lambton County, provincially, federally and quite often internationally, said Joanne Sanderson, chair of the Lambton Agricultural Hall of Fame.

"Agriculture is really important," she said. "Farmers feed everyone."

The Bryans family has taken what was a honey and bee business from their father and "they've built it, they've expanded it, they've created whole different value added products to their honey," Sanderson said.

Munro Honey and Meadery is located at 3115 River St., in Alvinston, Lambton County.
Munro Honey and Meadery is located at 3115 River St., in Alvinston, Lambton County. (Submitted by Munro Honey)

"They contributed a lot to the community. They've created some attraction to [the] small village of Alvinston because people go there for different reasons. They've brought recognition to Lambton County and the community through their  mead."

Lambton County pork producers Jim Duffy and Jim Goodhand are also 2024 inductees into the county's Agricultural Hall of Fame for their contributions to the industry on a local, provincial and federal level.

The hall of fame was launched in 2010. The inductee reception will take place on July 13 at 1:30 p.m. at the Brooke-Alvinston Community Centre.

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