An update on Bee Free Honee: Katie Sanchez's and Melissa Elms's company which garnered reward on 'Shark Tank' shut down in 2019. What happened?
Shark Tank introduced many companies to repute during its 12-season run on ABC. Bee Free Honee, the brainchild of pastry chef-turned-businesswoman Katie Sanchez, was once no exception.
Bee Free Honee introduced a delectable, nutritious, vegan choice to other sweeteners. So, why did the company shut down? Here's your update.
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Here's an update on what happened to Bee Free Honee.
Katie and her business partner, Melissa Elms, gave the impression in Season 7 of Shark Tank, presenting their state of the art thought along formidable entrepreneurs like Martin Dell'Arciprete and Kristi Ison. Katie and Melissa went on the show to advertise a delectable sweetener that isn't best fairly simple to make but also champions an environmentally conscious ethos. So, what went improper?
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As Katie explained in an interview with the Minneapolis-based non-profit, Compassionate Action for Animals, she stumbled upon her secret recipe again in 1999 whilst developing a gelatine-free apple jelly. The experiment grew to become out to be a fail — but she kept the mixture anyway. It received a brand new texture in a single day, making it extra reminiscent of honey.
In 2013, Katie teamed up with Melissa to make the sweetener widely available. They briefly landed new contracts with on-line and brick-and-mortar outlets, and for some time, the whole lot was going smartly.
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So, why did Bee Free Honee shut down?
Bee Free Honee shut down for just right in 2019 — which left many of their dependable fans feeling devastated. The company's speedy upward thrust to luck garnered an excessive amount of media consideration, but the circumstances surrounding its unexpected disappearance continue to baffle many. Neither Katie nor Melissa shared the causes behind their decision to close the company. It's unknown why Bee Free Honee is now not available.
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As Katie instructed Compassionate Action for Animals, there was once a really perfect deal much less passion in bee-friendly sweetener possible choices once they started — which likely posed demanding situations.
"At the time, when I thought about the vegan pastries we were making for Whole Foods Market, we didn't have a lot of options for sweeteners. I had always wished we could use something like honey that was light and would let lemon or vanilla bean come through, and so I thought this could be a really cool gift for my fellow vegan bakers," Katie informed the non-profit.
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As Katie went on to explain, she had some consciousness of the headaches honey manufacturers have to stand — but she only discovered about the sheer scale of the problem later.
"When I started I didn't realize the depth of the honey controversy," Katie added. "My dad and his retired beekeeping buddies were all excited about it. I thought that this product can only do good. I was not in any way prepared for the level of disruption that was ready to ensue upon me."
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As Katie emphasized, she strongly hopes that their paintings helped deliver extra consideration to the destructive have an effect on the business honey trade has on bee colonies. As she said, she hopes they helped different firms forge success.
"Today, I think people are a little more ready to hear the message. I'm hoping that we were at least able to break through and pave the way for the next person," she emphasised.
Katie has persisted her paintings as a businesswoman after Bee Free Honee shut down. According to her LinkedIn profile, Melissa is now a countrywide gross sales director at Cynara Worldwide Sourcing Inc.
Catch new episodes of Shark Tank Fridays at Eight p.m. EST on ABC.
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