PEMBERTON HONEY: FROM A SINGLE HIVE TO A GROWING WA HONEY BUSINESS

A single beehive was the beginning. Nearly a decade later, Mikey and Allexa Cernotta have built Pemberton Honey into a growing beekeeping, honey and visitor experience business, while Mikey has taken on an increasingly active role advocating for the future of Western Australia’s bee industry.

Based at Whispering Woods farm near Pemberton, Mikey and Allexa have spent the past decade building Pemberton Honey while raising their family and continuing to grow their connection to the region. What began in 2015 with one hive has grown to around 500 operational hives, with their bees travelling across Western Australia to make the most of different flowering seasons and nectar sources.

Their family has grown alongside the business, with Mikey and Allexa balancing beekeeping, work and family life as Pemberton Honey has developed. That family involvement is an important part of their story, with the next generation growing up around the bees, the business and the landscapes that have shaped it. Pemberton Honey produces a range of predominantly monofloral honeys including Jarrah, Marri, Karri and Wandoo, along with Yate, Mallee, Goldfields Blackbutt, Red Bell, Parrot Bush, Hakea and other seasonal varieties. For Mikey and Allexa, the appeal of these honeys goes beyond their flavour. Each one reflects the plants, landscape and season where the bees have been working, giving customers a taste of the diverse environments across Western Australia.

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  Spoon with honey in jar

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  Hand holding bee hive

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  Honey hive

The business has also grown well beyond the honey itself. Alongside their range of Western Australian honeys, Pemberton Honey has expanded its products to make use of more of what the bees provide, including beeswax candles, soaps and lip balms. It is another way for customers to experience the products of the hive while supporting a business that continues to develop its range and reach.

Pemberton Honey now offers visitors the opportunity to learn more about bees and beekeeping through honey tastings, guided experiences and tours of the packing facility. Their Green Cabin accommodation provides another way for visitors to experience the property and surrounding karri forest. The experiences are designed to show visitors that there is a lot more behind a jar of honey than meets the eye.

Behind the scenes, Pemberton Honey is continuing to invest in the future of the business, with plans for a new processing, tourism and retail facility supporting its next stage of growth.

As Pemberton Honey has grown, so too has Mikey's involvement in the wider industry. Mikey is Vice Chair of the Bee Industry Council of Western Australia (BICWA), where he is involved in advocating for the future of beekeeping across the state. His work extends beyond honey production to issues including access to flowering resources, biosecurity, hive traceability and the important role bees play in supporting agricultural and horticultural production.

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  Pemberton Honey in jar

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  Picture of Hives on farm

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  Honey Lip Balm

Mikey's role within the WA beekeeping industry has expanded significantly in recent years. A major part of that work is the connection between healthy forests, healthy bees and food production.

With Varroa mite detected in South Australia in 2025, the threat to WA's bee industry moved closer to home. Mikey has been involved in BICWA's calls for stronger preparedness, surveillance, traceability and early detection measures to protect both beekeeping and the many agricultural industries that depend on pollination.

Nearly a decade after that first hive, Pemberton Honey has come a long way. But the heart of the business remains much the same: a fascination with bees, a deep connection to the landscape around Pemberton and a belief that understanding where our food comes from makes it all the more valuable.

Discover more about Pemberton Honey, explore their honey range or find a stockist near you on the Pemberton Honey website. You can also book a bee experience to learn more about the bees and honey of the Southern Forests, or stay in their eco cabin and experience the farm for yourself.

Follow Mikey and Allexa on Facebook and Instagram to keep up with life on the farm, seasonal updates and the latest from Pemberton Honey.

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  Bee Hive with a Beekeeper

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  Pemberton Honey Stock farm side stall

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  Eco Cabin Whispering Woods

Photography by Craig Kinder Photography and Tristan Mckenzie for Genuinely Southern Forests