L’Atelier Du Miel

L’Atelier du Miel provides honey lovers with premium high-quality and unique honey products. They have a variety of more than 20 types of honey produced in their beehives in Lebanon, according to explicit criteria. They are placed at the local beekeepers’ and artisans’ bee yards, from where they source the products because L’Atelier du Miel believes in empowering local communities’ women and youth as part of their engagement in society.

They are distinguished by a unique production method, which relies on the movement of hives to follow the flowering seasons, allowing bees to feed only on the nectar of flowers and trees. The continued pollination increases beekeeping activities and increases home growing. This has positively affected life on land.

Environmental, Social & Economic impact:

• 20 types of raw and untouched honey from 20 regions in Lebanon
  • 75,000$ of cost savings for consumers
  • Reduction of 6,000Kg of CO2 emissions associated with sourcing, transportation and packaging costs
  • Sourcing from 20 beekeepers more than 30% of their total produce and helping them improve their knowledge and technical skills
  • Providing training and donated equipment to more than 45 beekeepers in rural areas, including 30 women
  • Reduced its use of its single use plastic in packaging and production by 95% from 2020 to 2023.

Interview with L’Atelier du Miel:

“We chose to partner with Fondation Diane because of its integrity and drive to work for a better Lebanon, its nature, and society. Fondation Diane worked, against the current, to establish a green investment fund, while everyone in Lebanon was after the quick gains of a failed economy.” – Marc-Antoine Bou Nassif, Founder of L’Atelier du Miel

Project’s Presentation and History:

L’Atelier du Miel was founded in 2013 by three urban young men; an architect, an engineer, and a business consultant, on a personal journey to reconnect with nature. We have quickly emerged as a loved startup, that wishes to share its discoveries with its customers, to help them immerse themselves in nature, craftsmanship, and good taste.

Thirst for Nature: We move our beehives to several curated regions with different altitudes and environments around the seasons. It allows us to bring a variety of unique, natural, artisan honey that captures the biodiversity of the Mediterranean basin.

Trust: Honey was disappearing from all kitchens, being the third most cheated food product in the world. When we got our first hives back in 2013, our goal was (and still is) to re-establish the trust of the people with the purest product of nature.

The Honey Trail: The untouched essence of nature in a jar. More than 20 types of honey, with enriching information about their origins, quality, and health benefits. It is guaranteed 100% raw. It is untouched from hive to jar, not heated, not filtered, or transformed in any way.

A Mother’s Kitchen: During the first few years, the kitchen of the founders’ mother was where honey jars were filled. She also made, with the support of her mother, Atelier du Miel’s traditional nougats, and other Mediterranean delicacies. Today, the same honey culture that emanated from her kitchen is safeguarded.

How did you become a green entrepreneur?

We felt that we had to make one of two choices; either work for a sustainable future, one that is more just, prosperous, and enjoyable for everyone, or work toward quick personal gains, a choice that would eventually turn against us. We chose the first option, to work in sync with nature and the communities surrounding us and provide clean and nurturing food for our customers.

Do you have a message for future entrepreneurs?

Although it is crucial for entrepreneurs today to put all their efforts into surviving the current economic crisis, my advice to them is to stay aspirational and think big.