Akron has an abundance of unique small businesses and one of those that I just discovered is Akron Honey Company. Owner and beekeeper Brent Wesley calls his company “The Sweet Spot of Akron, Ohio.”

Wesley started the business in 2013 when he found a lot of empty land that he bought and started working with bees. Since the apiary, a place where bees and beehives are kept, is located in the city, Wesley calls the honey “raw urban honey.”

The small business sells different types of honey and natural beauty products like “keepers salve” and lip balm. The beauty products are the newest venture for the company. Akron Honey Company has retail space right next to NOTO North in West Akron where Wesley will be producing and selling the beauty products.

Wesley said, “The favorite part of my business is being able to shape a brand new concept, of which I can share with my city, and the world.”

“Upon [Wesley’s] first very small harvest, we found that the taste profile of the urban honey was drastically different than any other honey he had ever exposed his palette to. The dark floral timbre was undeniable…” according to akronhoney.com.

Wesley’s honey can be purchased at Crestland Park Apiary, Saint Vincent-Saint Mary, and Middlebury Apiary.

I attended an event last weekend at Wesley’s new “micro production location” for the skin care line. During the event, Wesley sold jars of honey, body salve, and lip balms. I bought one of the peppermint lip balms made from beeswax and it is better than many drugstore chapsticks.

Akron Honey Company’s Facebook page suggests experiencing “your skin care, all innovatively made in small quality driven batches, with natural ingredients directly from the hive.”

Fun facts: In October, Akron Honey Company had a featured ice cream flavor, Akron Honey Pecan Cream, at this semester’s first ever Hidden Gem of Akron: Chill Artisan Ice Cream. In September, Wesley spoke about his business at UA for “Success Beyond the Major – Fall Leadership Speaker Series.”