Yelp Cleveland’s Urban Honey 101 with Akron Honey Co.

This September, Yelp Elites adventured to the Akron Honey Co. in Northside Marketplace for an unforgettable sweet night out. Located near the heart of Akron, Akron Honey Co. began in 2013 when founder and owner Brent Wesley purchased a small vacant lot to repurpose. Akron Honey Co. is an urban take on beekeeping culture and building community. Very uniquely, the honeybees take pollen from neighborhood flowers which makes for delicious local honey. Yelp’s Urban Honey explored the world of urban beekeeping and its impact on our lives through food, personal care and more.Upon arrival, Elites were immediately spoiled with four interactive activity stations. At the social table, Elites relaxed with a bottle of wine and one-on-one conversation with Wesley. Elites also gathered for curated honey tastings and learned to taste the differences between the Akron Honey Co.’s signature products and participated in a competitive trivia game. Elites then excitedly joined labkeeper Shamari Fields to create a signature beeswax body balm inside the production lab. As Yelp Elite Alyssa F. wrote, “Wes and his team are genuinely engaged, enthusiastic, real people with a passion for honey and Akron. I loved hearing the stories behind how the business started and their dedication to bringing REAL honey to the market.”To top off the evening, Elites gathered at the Keeper’s Table to indulge in more of Wes’ delicious products. Wesley guided the group through a tasting of sunflower seeds, fresh ground peanut butter, bananas, and feta cheese alongside Akron Honey Co. honey. Yelp Elite Ashley C. said, “We added honey to basic household foods which were so awesome! Not only was it a great event with hands-on experience, but it was also incredibly educational.”As the evening came to a close, Wes surprised the group with a phenomenal meal to guide guests through unique uses of honey with food. The menu included a delicious spread of breaded chicken, filet mignon, grilled asparagus, biscuits from Sweet Mary’s Bakery and a vibrant green salad. Akron Honey Co.’s homemade honey mustard and honey vinaigrette paired beautifully with each item as Wes educated us on flavor nodes. As if things couldn’t get any more delicious, rolled ice cream from the Akron Creamery delighted everyone for dessert.Along with growing Akron Honey Co., Wesley also works full-time, is a husband, a father of three, and the lead of local band Wesley Bright & the Honeytones. His hard work gained national recognition, too. In 2016, Wesley competed and won TV show Cleveland Hustles produced by LeBron James. Although he was the underdog from Akron, he prevailed by standing by his product and passion. Today, Brent Wesley runs Akron Honey Co. with the intentions of inspiring love for community and to create clean, natural goods for all.Yelp Elite Elizabeth F. summed up the spectacular experience by writing, “We were dazzled for more than two hours learning all about the honey process and how Wes is so much more than a beekeeper. We got to use all of our senses… From making beeswax body balm to being served a whole meal while trying different honey toppings. You could tell that Wes and his team were extremely passionate about making honey and teaching others about their business.”

Check out the 5-star reviews and photos here. For more information about the Yelp Cleveland Elite Squad visit yelp.com/elite.

Special thanks to our sponsors:
Akron Honey Co. • Elizabeth Sturm Photography • Akron Creamery