Manchester is the home of the Manuka brand

The worker bee, mostly referred to as the Manchester bee, has come to proudly symbolise the city's past and came to represent the city's indomitable spirit following the Arena bombing on May 22, 2017

And while every other city in the north of England has a heritage built upon industry - there is a reason that the bee symbol is a part of Manchester’s coat of arms which was given to the city in 1842.

First adopted as a motif for Manchester in the 18th Century, the bee reflected a time when the city became a leader in the Industrial Revolution, symbolising it being a hive of activity and enterprise for its hard-working citizens 🏭

Since then, bees have continued to be featured across Manchester's most famous buildings, landmarks and brands.
The HMS Manchester - which began its construction on 19 May 1978 - was nicknamed the "Busy Bee" for this reason, and even had the insects depicted on its chest.

When young music fans were targeted at an Ariana Grande concert two years ago Manchester sprang into action and proved itself to be a city of hope, unity and defiance.

And Manuka is our way of celebrating both bees and unity in one brand.

Sarah Grannell, owner of Manuka, said, “I’m so excited to be relaunching Manuka now, especially with Faye Brookes as our brand ambassador. People have had several months of lockdown, and as such have spent more time out in nature, enjoying walks and runs outdoors. The ‘bee’ is a tremendously important part of our eco-system, with bees pollinating around 30 per cent of food crops and 90 per cent of wild plants, and we really hope to raise awareness of how essential they are to our lives. We also couldn’t be a Manchester brand without a nod to the bee symbol!” 🐝

Photo credit @yzgphotography