Shark Tank Bee Free Honee Update 2026

Katie Sanchez was making apple jelly in 1999, but the recipe didn’t turn out right. Instead, she ended up with a thick, sweet liquid that looked and tasted like honey. Years later, as honey prices rose due to the shrinking bee population, she turned her mistake into Bee Free Honee, a plant-based honey substitute made from apples. It works just like regular honey but costs less and doesn’t rely on bees. Will the sharks get behind this idea? Let’s get into our Bee Free Honee update and pitch recap to find out.

If you’re short on time, here’s a quick overview of what happened to Bee Free Honee after Shark Tank.

Melissa and Katie entered Shark Tank Season 7, seeking $100,000 for 10% equity in their plant-based honey substitute. After their pitch, they landed a deal with Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, and Chris Sacca for $210,000 for 30% equity.

In terms of a Bee Free Honee update, the company secured shelf space in major grocery chains like Natural Grocers, Wegmans, and Whole Foods. However, despite early traction, the company shut down due to difficulties in consumer awareness and market adoption.

Shark	Result
Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, and Chris Sacca	Accepted offer of $210,000 for 30% equity
Daymond John	$100,000 for 10% equity plus 20% of online sales.
Kevin O’Leary	No offer

Shark Tank Bee Free Honee Pitch

Entrepreneurs: Melissa Elms and Katie Sanchez
Business: Plant-based honey substitute that saves bees
Ask: $100,000 for 10% equity
Result: $210k for 30% equity
Sharks: Barbara Corcoran, Mark Cuban, Chris Sacca

An at-home segment began the pitch, during which Melissa and Katie explained how they met and how they created their Bee Free Honee.

They asked for an investment to scale their business.

Katie explained that producing honey requires over 60,000 bees for just one pound, which puts strain on the declining bee population.

Their product offers a 100% plant-based alternative, allowing bees to “take a break.”

Melissa added that Bee Free Honee is made from American apples, lemon juice, and a small amount of vegan cane sugar, giving it the same thick texture as honey while working as a substitute in any recipe.

As the sharks tasted the product, Katie explained the ingredients, and they all agreed it tasted good.

Melissa highlighted that Bee Free Honee is vegan-friendly, providing an alternative for those who avoid animal-based products.

Meanwhile, Daymond John, who had previously invested in a bee-related business, wanted to understand how their pricing compared to real honey.

Melissa explained that it costs them $1.62 to produce each unit, and they sell it for $5.99, making it cheaper than some pure honey brands.

Barbara Corcoran asked about sales numbers. Melissa shared that Bee Free Honee was already in nine out of eleven Whole Foods regions and had generated $78,000 in first-year sales.

Hearing this, Daymond questioned their $1 million valuation, which led Melissa to reveal that they were in talks with Costco and working on packaging for a nationwide retail launch.

This, she argued, justified their valuation and showed they were ready for large-scale expansion.

However, Barbara raised another concern, asking whether $100,000 would be enough to support the increased demand if they secured a deal with Costco.

Nevertheless, Melissa and Katie were confident that the funds would allow them to expand their kitchen and scale production efficiently.

At this point, guest shark Chris Sacca, who owns several restaurants, was curious about how the product performs in recipes.

Melissa assured him that Bee Free Honee was competitively priced against organic honey and worked just as well in cooking and baking.

Kevin O’Leary remained unconvinced and dropped out, stating that he did not see the necessity of the product.

Daymond, looking at the branding potential, suggested updating the packaging to show how many bees were saved and donating a portion of the sales to a bee-related cause.

He then made an offer of $100,000 for 25% equity. Chris, seeing the potential but believing they needed more capital, offered $200,000 for 30% equity, inviting another shark to join him.

In response, Daymond adjusted his offer to $100,000 for 10% equity plus 20% of online sales.

At this stage, Barbara and Mark Cuban also saw an opportunity. They teamed up with Chris and proposed $210,000 for 30% equity, splitting the investment equally among the three of them.

After some quick deliberation, Melissa and Katie decided to take this deal. Where does it leave the company? Find out in our Bee Free Honee update.

Shark Tank Bee Free Honee Update

Our Bee Free Honee update found that following the show, the plant-based honey was available in a host of grocery stores, including Natural Grocers, Wegmans, and Whole Foods.

Despite early growth, the company shut down in 2019 due to challenges in consumer awareness and market adoption. It did not file for bankruptcy, but operations ceased entirely.

Melissa and Katie have since moved on to other ventures, though details on their current projects are not available.

Bee Free Honee is no longer in business. So, this marks the end of our Bee Free Honee update.

Make sure to check out our other company updates and recaps from the products featured in Season 7 Episode 17.

While you’re at it, don’t forget to stop by our Season 7 Products Page to find out more on companies and products.

Andrew Smith

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Andrew is a lifelong fan of Shark Tank and an entrepreneur at heart. He started Shark Tank Recap because he wanted a single place to track what happens to the companies, founders, and deals after they air on TV. With a sharp eye for business insights and a passion for all things Shark Tank, Andrew makes sure every recap is accurate, engaging, and fun.