The Buzzstop Honey Centre & Cafe describes itself as Queenstown's leader in all things bees and honey, combining a cafe, guided tours, and New Zealand's largest range of Native and Manuka Honey and honey mead. The centre has procured Manuka Honeys spanning multi-floral Manuka through to Premium UMF 10+, 15+, 20+, 25+ and 32+, with tastings available for visitors.
Buzzstop's most booked experience is its Beekeeping & Honey Spinning Tour, where guests suit up in a bee suit alongside a beekeeper to explore the world of the honeybee — described as fun, interactive and educational for families, nature lovers and curious minds of all ages. Other experiences include the Spin-Your-Own-Honey Tour, where guests uncap, spin, filter and bottle their own jar of fresh honey; a Manuka Honey History and Tasting session covering the difference between MGO and UMF rating systems; a hands-on Craft Shed for making items like honey turmeric soap and beeswax candles; and the shorter Meet the Bees & Manuka Honey Experience. For shoulder season, Buzzstop opens later at 10am on Mondays and Tuesdays, and once winter arrives, outdoor Beekeeping Tours pause in favour of indoor Honey Spinning Tours, Craft Making Tours, and Manuka Honey History and Tasting Experiences.
On the drinks side, Buzzstop pours New Zealand's largest range of honey mead, including Manuka Honey Mead, Red Mead and Rhubarb Mead, alongside honey liqueurs and a Manuka Honey & Plum Sake, which pair well with the cafe's cheese platter featuring local comb honey.
Buzzstop calls itself Queenstown's leader in all things bees and honey, and it backs that up with a combination few venues attempt: a working honey centre, a cafe, a full calendar of hands-on tours, and New Zealand's largest range of Native and Manuka Honey and honey mead, all in one place.
At the centre of Buzzstop's offering is its honey range, sourced from local multi-floral Manuka through to Premium UMF grades of 10+, 15+, 20+, 25+ and 32+. Tastings are available for visitors wanting to understand the difference between grades before they buy, and the centre's shop carries products like its Mountain Manuka honey alongside the wider Manuka and Native Honey range.
Buzzstop's most booked experience is its Beekeeping & Honey Spinning Tour, where visitors get into a bee suit and join a beekeeper to step directly into the world of the honeybee — a combination the centre describes as fun, interactive and educational, suited to families, nature lovers and curious minds of any age. For those short on time, the Meet the Bees & Manuka Honey Experience offers a shorter, sweeter version: holding a frame full of bees for a photo, then tasting Manuka Honey and learning about MGO versus UMF ratings.
The Spin-Your-Own-Honey Tour is Buzzstop's number one indoor experience through autumn and winter, running daily from October to April and by arrangement over summer. Guests uncap, spin, filter and bottle their own jar of honey straight from the frame, while learning how a colony thrives and survives. For a deeper dive, the Manuka Honey History and Tasting session covers the origins of New Zealand's largest-selling honey and works through the difference between MGO and UMF rating systems, tasting grades from multi-floral through to high-grade UMF.
Beyond bees and honey directly, the Craft Shed lets visitors make and take home their own handmade treasures — honey turmeric soap, soy candles, rolled beeswax candles, coconut lip balm and beeswax food wraps among them. It's described as a fun, feel-good way to connect with the world of bees, suited to all ages.
Buzzstop adjusts its offering with the seasons. In shoulder season, the centre opens later, at 10am on Mondays and Tuesdays. Once winter arrives, the outdoor Beekeeping Tours come to an end, and Buzzstop shifts to its indoor Honey Spinning Tours, Craft Making Tours, and Manuka Honey History and Tasting Experiences instead. The COMBO Beekeeping + Honey Spinning Tour is the centre's number one summer pick, bringing both experiences together in one visit.
Buzzstop also pours what it calls New Zealand's largest range of honey mead — the world's oldest alcoholic drink — including Manuka Honey Mead, Red Mead and Rhubarb Mead, alongside honey liqueurs and a Manuka Honey & Plum Sake. These pair naturally with the cafe's cheese platter, which features local comb honey.
Visitors on TripAdvisor have described learning about bees from a fifth-generation beekeeper, combining a tour and honey tasting with lunch and local wine, and praised guided tours for families as fun, informative, and thoroughly kid-friendly.