OUR STORY

By Vladimir Bouilov,
Founder of Mishka Honey

Sometimes in life, what initially feels like a catastrophe turns out to be game-changing in a good way. That certainly happened to me.

The Mishka story starts with an early morning phone call telling me that after a twenty-year career in London, I was being made redundant. At first I was understandably shocked and upset. But then, something dawned on me. Although my job was well-paid and interesting, its heavy demands had made me stressed and unhappy. So maybe, instead of being an ending, was that day actually a whole new beginning?

To help me through a challenging time, an old friend invited me to stay with him in my home country of Russia. I hopped on a plane, then a train, then a bus that made its bumpy way over remote rural roads into the heart of the beautiful Altai region in Siberia. There I climbed a mountain carpeted with blossom, swam in a cold clear lake and tasted the most delicious honey I’d ever experienced. This break from routine calmed me down and helped me to see things differently. I became much more positive.

That’s when my eureka moment happened. Back in Britain, real food lovers have long appreciated pure, natural, regional honeys – the kind they can’t find in supermarkets. This was my opportunity to introduce people for the first time to an authentic taste of Altai’s unspoilt mountains and valleys. I became friends with local bee farmers who were happy to supply me directly with their precious products, made using only the traditional methods passed down through families for many generations.

And so the Mishka honey range was born. Now I don’t miss my old job in the slightest. My new world is bringing you Altai honey, and I sincerely hope that enjoying its unique character and goodness will make you as happy as it’s made me.

Yours,

Vladimir