venessa stonehouse, hunnie, mindful fud, vegan honey, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, vancouver, bc

BeeMindful Hunnie: Rethinking Sweetness Through Plant-Based Innovation

Innovation often begins by questioning what others accept as standard. For Venessa Stonehouse, that question centred on honey. While widely perceived as wholesome and natural, conventional honey production places pressure on fragile ecosystems and commercializes a resource that bees rely upon for their own survival. Venessa identified not only an environmental challenge, but a viable market opportunity.

venessa stonehouse, hunnie, mindful fud, vegan honey, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, vancouver, bc

As co-founder of Mindful FÜD, a British Columbia–based plant-based food company, she developed Bee-Mindful Hunnie, a vegan alternative made from apples. The concept is strategically simple: create a product that mirrors the functionality and sweetness of honey while aligning with growing consumer demand for sustainable, plant-based options.

From Meal Delivery To Mission-Driven Brand

Venessa’s entrepreneurial journey began in 2015 with Feed Me Fit, a meal delivery service focused on accessible, nutrition-forward meals. In 2018, she made the personal decision to adopt a fully plant-based lifestyle and transitioned the company accordingly. For a clientele that included many omnivores, the shift represented measurable risk. However, Venessa understood that differentiation is often the catalyst for growth.

Rather than contracting, Feed Me Fit retained its customers and attracted new clients drawn to thoughtfully prepared plant-based proteins and a clear brand philosophy. The pivot demonstrated that strategic conviction, when supported by quality execution, can strengthen rather than weaken market position. That evolution laid the foundation for Mindful FÜD, a company built to examine food production through a sustainability-focused lens.

venessa stonehouse, hunnie, mindful fud, vegan honey, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, vancouver, bc

Identifying A Market Gap

The absence of a compelling vegan honey alternative in mainstream retail became the next opportunity. Commercial honey production often prioritizes yield over ecological balance, and consumers are increasingly aware of how food systems impact biodiversity and long-term sustainability. Venessa recognized that awareness creates demand.

Bee-Mindful Hunnie was developed to meet that demand. Made from apples, the product delivers comparable sweetness, texture, and versatility to traditional honey. By utilizing fruit rather than bee-derived ingredients, Mindful FÜD positioned Hunnie as both environmentally aligned and cost-effective. Apples provide scalability and predictable sourcing, two critical components for retail growth.

Building A Multi-Product Portfolio

What began as a single innovation has expanded into a broader product line. Bee-Mindful Hunnie, Hunnie Mustard, and Hunnie Hot extend the brand into adjacent categories, increasing shelf presence and consumer engagement. Each product maintains the core promise of plant-based integrity while broadening culinary applications.

From salad dressings and roasted vegetables to breakfast bowls and marinades, Hunnie products are designed for everyday integration. This versatility supports repeat purchasing behaviour, a critical metric in food retail performance.

venessa stonehouse, hunnie, mindful fud, vegan honey, helen siwak, portfolioyvr, vancouver, bc

Scaling Through Strategic Retail Placement

Distribution has been central to Mindful FÜD’s growth strategy. Hunnie products are available through established Canadian retailers including Save-On-Foods, Loblaws, Urban Fare, Vegan Supply, Famous Foods, Sprouted Oven, and Nature’s Fare. Placement within mainstream grocery chains provides both validation and visibility, positioning the brand alongside conventional sweeteners while offering a differentiated alternative.

Retail expansion has been supported by disciplined brand messaging centred on sustainability, accessibility, and flavour. By competing within conventional categories rather than remaining niche, Venessa has broadened the addressable market for plant-based consumers and those seeking conscious alternatives.

Entrepreneurship Rooted In Long-Term Vision

Venessa Stonehouse’s trajectory reflects measured entrepreneurial thinking. She identified an overlooked environmental concern, translated it into a commercially viable product, and executed a retail strategy that bridges purpose and profitability.

Mindful FÜD demonstrates that sustainability-focused innovation can align with scalable business models. By reimagining a familiar pantry staple, Venessa has established a distinctive presence within Canada’s growing plant-based sector, proving that thoughtful disruption can begin with a single, well-executed idea.

Author Profile

Helen Siwak, Collaborator: This story is created in collaboration between Helen Siwak and the featured subject. As the founder and publisher of Portfolio.YVR Business & Entrepreneurs Magazine, Helen works closely with entrepreneurs to share their paths of innovation, resilience, and growth. Each story in this series is co-developed through interviews and first-person insights, blending authentic voices with Helen’s editorial expertise to highlight the remarkable individuals shaping British Columbia’s business landscape.