Dutchman’s Gold was created in 1981 by beekeeper (and my father) John Van Alten and our family. From humble beginnings in Carlisle, ON, Dutchman’s Gold was launched locally, selling bottled honey off the front porch of our family home and in local farmers’ markets.
With over four decades of experience perfecting unpasteurized, award-winning natural honey, Dutchman’s Gold is a proud manufacturer of high-quality products from the beehive that enrich the lives of their customers, bees, and the environment.
Today, we sell unpasteurized honey, maple, beehive wellness supplements, infused natural skincare, and beeswax candles. The company is nationally led by second-generation founders Angela Ysseldyk (formerly Van Alten) and Mark Ysseldyk.
Our values circle around our people, our customers, our partners, and our environment. They are integrity, customer obsession, positivity, accountability, teamwork, quality, and family.
Tell us about yourself?
I have been in beehive wellness my entire life. I grew up on the Dutchman’s Gold Honey Farm and was raised by beekeeper parents and entrepreneurs. I grew up learning what it takes to be an entrepreneur, and it formed many of my values. It likely planted the seed for the first half of my career, studying nutrition and business, and now as co-owner of the brand. Before joining the family business in 2023, I spent 25 years in the health and wellness industry working for top nutraceutical brands from retail, sales, marketing, and education and working with incredible people. My husband and I acquired the family brand in 2018, and I officially joined as VP of Sales and Marketing in 2023.
If you could go back in time a year or two, what piece of advice would you give yourself?
Believe in yourself. It saves a lot of time and energy. Now, knowing what I know, I would have joined the business earlier instead of waiting until things were perfect because they never are or will be. Being an entrepreneur means you will be uncomfortable no matter what. You are betting on yourself, and it is a rollercoaster. But it is so fulfilling and meaningful to work for myself and my family.
What problem does your business solve?
At Dutchman’s Gold, we champion environmental sustainability while enhancing individual health. Our premium bee-derived products support bee populations and habitats, offering consumers natural, nutrient-rich options. From honey and maple products to wellness supplements and beeswax candles, each item is crafted for delicious flavours and essential nutrients. With a commitment to sustainability and quality, we provide solutions that nourish our ecosystem and enrich lives.
What is the inspiration behind your business?
My parents and their entrepreneurial drive really inspired me. I grew up seeing the benefits of beehive products and honey and how they can raise your health. I am motivated to carry on and build upon what the first generation started and make it something bigger than they ever imagined. Working alongside my husband and modelling for our two children is motivating. Plus, I just love doing what is good for people and the planet. It is my personal mission to empower people to have extraordinary lives, and this is just one small way I can contribute to that every day.
What is your magic sauce?
Our story is unique. You can’t make this stuff up! Growing up on a honeybee farm, with a store, production site, beehives in my backyard, and hippy parents is a story in itself. Plus, we have been doing things that weren’t particularly cool or popular from the start, like our bee-friendly promise, supporting bees and beekeepers, using sustainable packaging and clean ingredients and having very strict quality standards. It wasn’t cool then, but these practices are certainly important and ‘’cool’ now. Plus, not many companies work with the entire beehive and are vertically integrated, with 93 per cent of our products manufactured by us. Beehive ingredients and honey are trending, so it’s a good place to be.
What is the plan for the next 5 years? What do you want to achieve?
We want to be the number one beehive wellness brand in Canada, double the size of our business, get to a minimum 80 per cent manufacturing capacity, and keep our lines rolling. We also want to continue to support the bees by raising awareness.
What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced so far?
During COVID-19, we ran into major ingredient supply chain hyperinflation, causing a significant margin squeeze. Over the period, we couldn’t keep up with the cost increases and ended up losing half a million dollars in one year.
We had to implement price increases while our supply chain inflation settled down. This helped us get back to positive profitability and recover from the loss, though it’s still something on our radar.
How can people get involved?
Dutchman’s Gold’s Bee Friendly Promise™ is at the heart of our mission and culture. It is built upon five core pillars, which include supporting local beekeepers and pollinators, utilizing sustainable packaging and natural ingredients, and maintaining a steadfast commitment to quality.
You can get involved by joining our Bee Friendly Promise this Spring. We will be providing seed packages online and in select stores with the purchase of a Dutchman’s Gold product. Our goal is to plant 2,000,000 pollinator-friendly perennial flowers across Canada this spring to support our pollinators. Let’s Plant!
To get involved and learn more, please visit www.dutchmansgold.com