12 Years of Gather By — Purpose. Passion. Persistence

Purpose. Passion. Persistence. 

I've always believed three things are essential when you're trying to build something meaningful. 

Purpose gives you a reason to begin. Passion provides the curiosity, energy and belief to pursue it. And persistence keeps you moving forward when things don't go according to plan. 

There's a philosophy I've carried throughout my life: 

It's not what happens to you. It's how you deal with it. 

Along the way, we've navigated droughts, bushfires, devastating floods, a global pandemic, severe weather and the arrival of Varroa, which has introduced new challenges for Australian beekeeping. 

We've also experienced the financial realities of developing an agricultural model where research, propagation, planting and honey production can take years before delivering commercial returns. 

Those experiences have tested our determination, but they've also taught us to adapt, innovate and improve. 

Where Science Met an Australian Opportunity 

In the early years, I travelled along Australia's east coast, searching for native Leptospermum plants and meeting people who understood the land. 

Working with researchers at the University of the Sunshine Coast, we began investigating the remarkable chemistry of Australian Manuka nectar. 

Thousands of nectar samples were collected and tested. Promising plants were identified, their locations recorded and cuttings taken for propagation. 

We discovered significant differences between individual plants, even within the same species. This led us to select varieties with the potential to produce exceptionally high-activity Manuka honey. 

That applied research became the foundation of our Medicinal Clonal Selection™ (MCS) programme. 

But identifying exceptional plants was only the beginning. We needed to propagate them consistently, establish productive forests, support healthy honeybee colonies and produce commercially viable quantities of honey. 

The first harvest from our Medicinal Honey Forests™ was a defining milestone. What began as a scientific possibility was becoming an agricultural reality. 

And the research continues. 

Together with our research collaborators, growers and beekeepers, we're continually refining plant selection, propagation, flowering patterns, complementary bee forage, honey maturation and production. 

Innovation remains as important today as it was when we began. 

From Research to Medicinal Honey Forests™ 

Our business model was built around a simple principle: 

The more jars of honey we sell, the more trees we need to plant. 

For that model to succeed, everyone throughout the supply chain must have the opportunity to earn a profit — from specialist nurseries and growers to beekeepers, production teams and distribution partners. 

Regenerative agriculture must be environmentally responsible and commercially viable. 

Today, our Medicinal Honey Forest™ network stretches approximately 1,400 kilometres along eastern Australia, from the Murray River to the Mary River in Queensland. It brings together Australian farmers, First Nations partners, specialist nurseries and beekeepers, united by a shared commitment to productive, regenerative landscapes. 

Our growing network brings together Australian farmers, First Nations partners, specialist nurseries and beekeepers, united by a shared commitment to productive, regenerative landscapes. 

We work with contracted specialist nurseries producing our selected clonal plants, including multiple high-DHA varieties with early, mid and late flowering characteristics. 

By combining these varieties with complementary bee forage, we aim to extend nectar availability, support honeybee health and improve forest productivity. 

Beyond producing exceptional Manuka honey, our Medicinal Honey Forests™ offer another important benefit. By supporting healthy honeybee colonies throughout the year, they can contribute valuable pollination services to surrounding farmland at no cost to neighbouring landholders. As Australian agriculture faces the growing challenges of Varroa, maintaining healthy, locally established honeybee populations has never been more important. 

These aren't simply plantations of Manuka trees. They're purpose-designed agricultural systems developed through applied research and partnerships with farmers and beekeepers. 

Together, they represent a growing network of productive agricultural landscapes, designed to support healthy honeybees, biodiversity and long-term commercial sustainability. 

Alongside developing our Medicinal Honey Forests™, we've built enduring relationships with trusted Australian beekeepers who share our commitment to exceptional Manuka honey. Their premium honey has been essential in meeting growing customer demand while our forests mature. Today, demand continues to outstrip supply, reinforcing both the importance of these partnerships and the opportunity to expand our forests. 

When Our Growers Chose to Begin Again 

One of the most remarkable moments in our history came during a major flooding event. 

We had deliberately established Medicinal Honey Forests™ across different regions to reduce our exposure to localised weather events. 

Yet the scale of the flooding was extraordinary. 

More than 90% of our established forests were devastated, including plantings at the northern and southern extremes of our network. 

Even geographic diversification couldn't protect us from an event of that magnitude. 

Our growers lost almost everything they'd invested in establishing those forests. 

What happened next demonstrated the strength of our shared belief. 

Every grower chose to reinvest. 

Together, we assessed the damage, learned from the experience and began rebuilding. 

That decision has stayed with me. It reinforced something I've always believed: resilience isn't about avoiding every setback. It's about how we respond when circumstances change. 

It also demonstrated that Gather By's greatest strength isn't simply our plants, research or business model. 

It's the people who believe in what we're creating. 

The People Behind the Vision 

No business is built alone. 

Throughout our journey, many people have contributed to Gather By. Some for a short time, others for many years. Some remain with us today, while others have moved on to new chapters. 

Each has played a part. 

Researchers, nursery specialists, growers, beekeepers, employees, directors, advisers, shareholders and commercial partners have all helped shape the business. 

I'm grateful for the knowledge, enthusiasm, commitment and belief they've shared along the way. 

Our shareholders deserve recognition for supporting a vision requiring patience, investment and a long-term perspective. Government assistance, research partnerships and organisations supporting Australian innovation and international trade have also contributed to our development. 

And our customers have been essential. 

Every person who has purchased Gather By honey, returned for another jar or recommended us to someone else has helped create demand for future harvests and further planting. 

That's the connection between our customers and our forests — a commercial model designed to create opportunities throughout the supply chain. 

Innovation From Our Forests to Our Customers 

Innovation has never been confined to our research programme. It extends through our products, production processes and the markets we enter. 

Our range has evolved from everyday Australian Manuka honey, including our convenient MGO70 squeezable packaging, to our exceptional Heirloom MGO2200+, among the highest-potency Manuka honeys produced. 

We've also developed Manuka honey gummies and convenient honey sticks, creating new ways for customers to enjoy Australian Manuka. 

Different products serve different needs, occasions and markets. Understanding those differences and responding with new ideas is central to how we develop our business. 

Today, Gather By sells into 10 countries across four continents. 

For a business that began with an Australian native plant and a vision in 2014, that's a milestone I'm particularly proud of. 

Each international market brings different regulations, customer expectations, retail channels and commercial relationships. Entering new territories requires us to keep learning, adapting and developing innovative products and partnerships. 

Recognition Along the Way 

Our commitment to quality, innovation and international growth has received independent recognition through food, honey and business awards. 

In 2023, our MGO250 Manuka honey sachets received Gold at the Quality Food Awards, while our MGO1000 honey earned a Great Taste Award in the United Kingdom. 

Our high-MGO honeys have also received Gold awards at the London International Honey Awards. In 2026, our MGO2200+ received Gold at the Excellent Taste Awards, while our MGO300+ was recognised at the UK's Great Taste Awards. 

Gather By won the Business NSW Northern Rivers Excellence in International Business Award in 2025 and was named a finalist in the 2026 NSW Export Awards. 

These achievements recognise more than our products. They reflect the collective work of everyone involved in bringing Australian Manuka honey from our forests to customers around the world. 

Awards were never our purpose, but they're encouraging recognition of the standards we're working to achieve. 

Helping Build the Australian Manuka Industry 

Building Gather By and helping develop the wider Australian Manuka industry are closely connected ambitions. 

Australia has an extraordinary native botanical resource, a compelling scientific story and growing capabilities across research, agriculture, beekeeping and honey production. 

Through my role as a director of the Australian Manuka Honey Association (AMHA), I'm working alongside fellow industry representatives to strengthen Australia's voice with government and international markets. 

That work includes industry advocacy, scientific credibility, authentic Australian Manuka standards and greater recognition of our honey internationally. 

I believe Australia has an opportunity to build a globally respected Manuka industry that creates lasting value for growers, beekeepers, producers, regional communities and consumers. 

Our story is about more than honey. It's about Australian science, native biodiversity, agricultural innovation and the people working together to create something meaningful. 

The Next Chapter 

Looking back, I don't measure our progress only by jars sold, trees planted, awards received or markets entered. 

I think about what we've learned, the relationships we've built and the people who have helped turn an idea into a growing agricultural enterprise. 

I think about the researchers whose curiosity helped uncover the potential of our native plants, the growers who chose to reinvest when their forests were destroyed, and the beekeepers, employees and partners who continue turning knowledge into practical outcomes. 

Our long-term ambition remains to establish 5,000 hectares of Medicinal Honey Forests™ across suitable Australian landscapes. 

There are more forests to establish, more growers and trusted beekeepers to work alongside, more discoveries to make, more innovative products to develop and more international markets to reach. 

Before I started this journey, I couldn't have imagined every challenge we'd face or every opportunity we'd discover. But I knew what I wanted to build, and I believed it was worth pursuing. I still do. 

Today, I can see that vision taking shape in the forests we've planted, the honey we've produced, the people we've brought together and the markets we've opened. 

But what excites me most isn't simply what we've achieved. 

It's what remains possible. 

Purpose gave us our direction. Passion fuelled our curiosity. Persistence carried us through the challenges. Progress shows us how far we've come. And Possibility reminds us how much more we can achieve. 

Twelve years on, we're still building. 

Thank you to everyone who has been part of our journey. 

The next chapter is just beginning. 

Matt Blomfield 
Founder, Chair & CEO, Gather By 
Director, Australian Manuka Honey Association 

PURE MANUKA POWER