Daimiyan Menya is not your average 14-year-old. She is the founder and owner of HoneyBee Butters, a business that sells handmade butters with various flavors and ingredients. But what inspired her to start this venture? It all began with a bout of COVID-19 that knocked out her senses of taste and smell.
Menya told WJHL that she loves food and is always willing to try new things. However, when she contracted COVID-19, she lost her ability to enjoy her favorite dishes. She said, “When I was cooking I wouldn’t know what it would taste like.” Her mom, Ashleigh, served as her professional taste tester until Menya discovered that butter was the one thing she could still taste in full.
Menya said that the first time she made butter, it was an accident. She was making whipped cream and forgot about it. When she came back, her mixer had turned heavy cream into a solid, tasty mass. She decided to experiment with different flavors and ingredients, such as honey, cinnamon, garlic, herbs, and more.
Menya said that one day she was at a sleepover and got bored. She wondered what she could do with her life to get a headstart. She realized that she could combine her passion for butter with her entrepreneurial spirit. That’s how HoneyBee Butters was born.
She created a Facebook page to promote her products and received an overwhelming response from the community. She said, “My mom was like, ‘We have a lot of people that are wanting to support you right now,’ and I started crying. I really did.”
Menya’s business is not only about making money. It is also about supporting a cause that is close to her heart: conservation and the environment. She said that she learned from the Bee Movie how important bees are for life on Earth. She even adopted two bees of her own, named Pickle and Jamal.
To help the local pollinators, Menya includes a packet of wildflower seeds with every purchase of her butters. She also hopes to partner with local beekeepers to source honey from the community.
Menya’s business has been growing fast. She sells her butters at yard sales and regular table setups in her Kingsport neighborhood. She offers various sizes and prices for her products, ranging from $3 to $10 per container.
She also keeps innovating with new flavors and themes. For example, she recently launched several Halloween-themed butters, such as Spooky Sweet Cookies and Scream, Bloody Mary, Witch’s Brew, and more.
She plans to create a website for online orders soon. She said that she is grateful for all the support and feedback she has received so far.
“I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me,” Menya said. “It means a lot.”
