Local Hive Honey
Local Hive Honey (Rice's Honey LLC) is a 100-year-old U.S. specialty honey company that produces and sells 23+ regional raw and unfiltered honey varietals, honey hot sauces, and the Organic Hive sub-brand through national retailers including Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1924
- HeadquartersGreeley, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Local Hive Honey does
Local Hive Honey, operating as Rice's Honey LLC, is a U.S. specialty honey company headquartered in Greeley, Colorado, that has sourced raw and unfiltered honey from American beekeepers for over 100 years. Its core product is regional honey, gently strained through cheesecloth to preserve natural pollen, enzymes, vitamins, and minerals, marketed in 23+ varietals named after U.S. regions (Florida, Midwest, So Cal, Colorado, etc.). The company has expanded into adjacent categories with a hot honey line (Original, Sriracha, Chipotle), a seven-SKU honey hot sauce portfolio, a sub-brand called Organic Hive (single-origin, Fair Trade IBD certified, USDA Organic, sourced from a sole beekeeping co-op in Ceará, Brazil), and specialty formats including a 100% U.S. bear bottle and single-serve honey packets.
The underlying production technology is intentionally low-tech: honey is shipped from beekeepers to the Greeley HQ, strained through cheesecloth, and bottled raw without ultra-filtration, superheating, or blending away pollen. Differentiation rests on provenance (named regional varietals and named beekeeper partnerships), certifications (USDA Organic, Fair Trade IBD, Non-GMO, BPA-free packaging), and a century-long supplier network rather than on proprietary processes or automation.
The business model is a wholesale-retail CPG structure combined with direct-to-consumer e-commerce. Honey is sold through major national retailers (Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts, Albertsons) and e-commerce marketplaces (Amazon, Instacart), supplemented by the company's own Shopify storefront at localhivehoney.com. Pricing is unit-based, with honey priced around $5.98 at suggested retail and honey hot sauces at $6.99 per bottle. The company is privately held with no disclosed institutional investors or funding rounds, appears founder or family-owned, and employs 11-50 people. Customer concentration is dispersed across mass and natural retail channels, and growth has been driven primarily by product line extension, hot sauce category awards, and the 2026 national rollout of the bear bottle SKU.
Local Hive Honey firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Local Hive Honey
- Legal name
- Rice's Honey LLC
- Website
- https://localhivehoney.com/
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1924
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Local Hive Honey (Rice's Honey LLC) is a 100-year-old U.S. specialty honey company that produces and sells 23+ regional raw and unfiltered honey varietals, honey hot sauces, and the Organic Hive sub-brand through national retailers including Walmart, Kroger, and Whole Foods.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Local Hive Honey industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Honey and Natural Sweeteners
- NAICS
- Sugar and Confectionery Product Manufacturing (3113), Apiculture (11291)
- SIC
- Food And Kindred Products (2000)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling (AFAEAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Honey & Natural Sweet Spreads Manufacturing (AFAKADAL), Honey Production & Extraction (AFAEAHAA)
Keywords
Where Local Hive Honey is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Greeley
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Local Hive Honey business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce: The company sells its full product range (23+ honey varietals, hot honey, honey hot sauces, organic honey) directly to consumers through its online store at localhivehoney.com, offering the complete product catalog including regional blends not available in all retail locations.
- Retail Distribution (National Chains): Products are sold through major national retail chains including Walmart and Kroger, where the bear bottle format was launched nationally. Also available at Whole Foods, Target, Sprouts, Albertsons, and natural food stores.
- E-commerce Marketplaces: Products are sold through online marketplaces including Amazon and Instacart, expanding accessibility beyond the company's owned e-commerce storefront.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Original Honey Hot Sauce — $6.99 per bottle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Honey Hot Sauce Line — $6.99 per bottle |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Raw & Unfiltered Honey — $5.98 suggested retail |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Midwest Honey Blend Case — 15% discount applied |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels9 records
Marketing channels5 records
Local Hive Honey product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Local Hive Honey is a honey brand operated by Rice's Honey LLC that sources raw and unfiltered honey from American beekeepers. The company sells 23+ regional honey varietals, hot honey, seven varieties of honey hot sauces, USDA Organic and Fair Trade IBD certified Organic Hive honey sourced from Brazil, and specialty formats such as bear bottles and on-the-go honey packets. Products are distributed through national grocery chains and a direct-to-consumer online storefront.
Product overview
Local Hive Honey is a honey company offering a diverse portfolio of raw & unfiltered honey products sourced from American beekeepers. The product line includes: (1) Regional Honey Blends - over 23 unique varietals named after U.S. regions (Florida, Midwest, So Cal, Colorado, Northwest, etc.), each capturing local floral notes; (2) Organic Hive Honey - a single-origin organic honey sourced from Brazil, Fair Trade IBD certified; (3) Hot Honey line - three varieties (Original, Sriracha, Chipotle) made with 100% U.S. raw & unfiltered honey infused with peppers; (4) Honey Hot Sauce - seven varieties (Original, Sriracha, Chipotle, Mango Habanero, Cayenne, Hatch Chile, Habanero) combining honey with various peppers; (5) Specialty formats - bear bottle and honey packets. All products are raw & unfiltered, non-GMO, and support American beekeepers.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Organic Hive: Single-origin organic honey sourced from Brazil, Fair Trade IBD certified, raw & unfiltered, USDA Organic certified. Launched in 2024.
Products and services
- Organic Hive Honey Single-origin organic honey sourced from beekeepers in Ceará, Brazil. USDA Organic certified, raw and unfiltered, Fair Trade IBD certified, and Non-GMO, with a distinctly floral sweet flavor and mild taste.
- Original Hot Honey
Quantifiable outcome
- Ranked #1 in natural food stores and #2 in MULO per SPINS as of February 2026
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Local Hive Honey
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Local Hive Honey technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
Local Hive Honey partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- Beekeeping Co-op in Ceará, BrazilcoreLocal Hive partners with a single beekeeping co-op in Ceará, Brazil to produce Organic Hive Honey. The partnership is the first-of-its-kind Fair Trade IBD certified honey program, ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and investment in community and environmental development. The relationship directs over $100,000 per year to projects chosen by the beekeepers. The company flew to Brazil in 2024 to verify organic certifications and witness the first bottles being filled.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Local Hive Honey competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nature Nate's Honey: Nature Nate's is the leading U.S. raw & unfiltered honey brand and a direct competitor in the same shelf set at Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods, and other mass retailers. Competes head-to-head on purity claims, single-origin positioning, and natural food channel share.
- Mike's Hot Honey: Mike's Hot Honey pioneered the U.S. hot honey category and is the most direct competitor to Local Hive's Original, Sriracha, and Chipotle hot honey SKUs. Both target the same sweet-heat condiment occasion and overlapping retail and foodservice accounts.
- Wedderspoon: Wedderspoon is a premium raw honey brand (manuka-focused) selling through natural food channels including Whole Foods and Sprouts. Comparable as a direct premium/raw honey peer with similar natural food store positioning and brand storytelling.
- Wholesome Sweeteners: Wholesome Sweeteners is a leading organic and Fair Trade sweetener brand with overlapping retail placement (Whole Foods, Sprouts) and consumer overlap with Local Hive's Organic Hive line. Comparable on organic/Fair Trade positioning in the sweeteners aisle.
- GloryBee: GloryBee is a honey and beekeeping supplies company with its own retail honey brand sold through natural food stores and online. Comparable as a direct peer in raw and unfiltered honey with similar beekeeper-supply provenance story.
- Madhava Natural Sweeteners: Madhava produces organic sweeteners including honey, agave, and maple, with strong placement in natural food retailers. Comparable as a peer in the organic/natural sweetener category overlapping with Local Hive's Organic Hive positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Barkman Honey: Barkman Honey is a larger, established honey packer and private-label supplier operating across retail, foodservice, and ingredient channels. Comparable as a broad incumbent in packaged honey with overlapping retail buyers and similar raw & unfiltered positioning.
- Dutch Gold Honey: Dutch Gold is one of the largest U.S. honey packers serving retail private label and branded customers. Comparable as a broad incumbent with similar bottling operations, retail relationships, and exposure to commodity and premium honey segments.
Emerging players
- Truff Hot Honey: Truff has expanded from truffle sauces into hot honey, competing with Local Hive's hot honey and honey hot sauce lines at premium retailers. Comparable as an emerging player in the sweet-heat condiment space with strong brand cachet and overlapping retail accounts.
- Siesta Honey / Really Raw Honey: Really Raw Honey is an unpasteurized honey brand sold in natural food channels and online. Comparable as a niche, premium raw honey competitor with similar consumer targeting and shelf placement in the natural channel.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Local Hive Honey social profiles
Digital presenceLocal Hive Honey compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Local Hive Honey financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Local Hive Honey leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Local Hive Honey funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Local Hive Honey M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Local Hive Honey
What does Local Hive Honey do?
Local Hive Honey is a honey brand operated by Rice's Honey LLC that sources raw and unfiltered honey from American beekeepers. The company sells 23+ regional honey varietals, hot honey, seven varieties of honey hot sauces, USDA Organic and Fair Trade IBD certified Organic Hive honey sourced from Brazil, and specialty formats such as bear bottles and on-the-go honey packets. Products are distributed through national grocery chains and a direct-to-consumer online storefront.
Is Local Hive Honey a public or private company?
Local Hive Honey is a private company. It is classified as family owned and is currently operating.
When was Local Hive Honey founded?
Local Hive Honey was founded in 1924. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Local Hive Honey based?
Local Hive Honey is headquartered in Greeley, United States, in the North America region.
How does Local Hive Honey make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Direct-to-Consumer E-commerce is the primary driver. The others are retail Distribution (National Chains) and E-commerce Marketplaces.
Who are Local Hive Honey's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nature Nate's Honey, Mike's Hot Honey, Wedderspoon, Wholesome Sweeteners, GloryBee and Madhava Natural Sweeteners. Broad incumbents are Barkman Honey and Dutch Gold Honey. Emerging players are Truff Hot Honey and Siesta Honey / Really Raw Honey.
Does Local Hive Honey have an API?
No public API is recorded for Local Hive Honey.
What industry is Local Hive Honey in?
Local Hive Honey's product category is Honey and Natural Sweeteners. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAHAL, Honey Packaging, Bottling & Private Labeling, with a secondary code of AFAKADAL, Honey & Natural Sweet Spreads Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 3113 and its SIC code is 2000.