At Gisou, the well-being of our Mirsalehi bees is our priority. We let bees guide our beekeeping practices to sustainably obtain our key ingredients, Mirsalehi honey and propolis, in a bee-friendly and sustainable way. Mirsalehi bees At Gisou, we are passionate about our Mirsalehi bees. That's why we let bees guide our beekeeping practices and source Mirsalehi Honey and Mirsalehi Propolis, our key ingredients, in a bee-friendly and sustainable way.

Mirsalehi bees are at the heart of who we are and what we do at Gisou, and we strive to give to them as much as they give to us. From the very beginning of Gisou until today, we: Prioritize bee welfare Strive to reflect the natural life cycle of bees Minimize intrusion into the colony Promote natural behavior and interaction between bees Never take excess honey, if and when appropriate Synchronize production with the harvest season of our key ingredients Overall, Gisou is committed to a sustainable, bee-friendly production method that puts bees first Mirsalehi, not only for the sake of the bees, but also for the greater ecosystem.

Gisou Bee Q&A with Negin Mirsalehi When was the Mirsalehi Bee Garden established? “My father grew up in Iran, where he practiced beekeeping since he was little, like the generations before him. As a young man in the 70s with a true passion for beekeeping, he wanted to find the best place where he could start his own bee garden. A place where he could successfully set up hives and keep healthy bees.

Discover the history of Gisou heritage here. Who takes care of the bees in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden? "My father oversees our Mirsalehi Bee Garden to this day. As an active practicing beekeeper, I help my father in the Mirsalehi Bee Garden as often as I can - going there to spend time in nature among the bees is like a meditation session for me. Through Gisou, I want to encourage more young people to discover and experience what beekeeping is all about!

When was beekeeping in your family? “The art of beekeeping is a Mirsalehi family tradition that goes back six generations! I grew up learning beekeeping from my father in our own family bee garden, and my father learned it from his father, and so on. Are honey and propolis the only key ingredients sourced from Mirsalehi Bee Garden? “We are very proud to continue to sustainably source key beauty-enhancing ingredients, such as Mirsalehi Honey, Mirsalehi Propolis, our proprietary Mirsalehi Oil blend from my family's bee garden here in the Netherlands!” With Gisou growing every year and becoming available at more and more retailers, how can bees keep up with production?

"We continue to sustainably source honey in Gisou products from my family's bee garden in the Netherlands. Even though we have expanded the bee garden over the years, we care for the Mirsalehi bees the same way my family has always done, putting their welfare first in everything we do. We only take excess honey if and when it is appropriate.

We ensure that our production cycles are in sync with the harvest season of our key ingredients. Simply put, Mirsalehi bees are at the heart of who we are and what we do at Gisou, and we strive to give to them as much as they give to us. The Magic of Bees: Bees are among the hardest-working creatures on the planet, converting honey with a special, almost magical precision.

A bee produces one teaspoon of honey (about 5 grams) in its lifetime. To make a pound of honey, it would take 768 worker bees in their lifetime to travel more than 55,000 miles to collect nectar from 2 million flowers. The composition of honey is determined by the flowers from which bees collect nectar. No batch is ever the same - the floral sources available to our Mirsalehi Honey bees change throughout the bee season.

A new generation of beekeepers At Gisou, our mission is to raise awareness of the importance of bees to the ecosystem, as well as to inspire young people to explore the crucial profession of beekeeping. Led by our founder and active beekeeper Negin Mirsalehi, we aim to highlight and encourage a new generation of largely underrepresented beekeepers. Gisou supports female beekeepers just like Negin, who are committed to spreading awareness, knowledge and sharing their inspiring stories as beekeepers.

In honor of Women's History Month, we interviewed four beekeepers and listened to their stories and experiences in this unique profession. Gisou Bees Project The Gisou Bees Project is a unique Gisou initiative supporting urban beekeeping practices to combat the decline in bee populations around the world. With this project, we show our support for urban beekeeping efforts by installing Gisou urban hives in major cities around the world.

Our goal is to expand the Gisou Bees project globally to raise awareness of urban beekeeping initiatives, as well as the welfare of bees in general. Learn more about the Gisou Bees project here. Get Involved Follow us on Instagram to join our journey, share our passion for bees and beekeeping, and stay informed on how you can support initiatives big and small, wherever you are in the world.