The Story of Yes, Honey

In just one year, Norwood-based business yes, honey has proven to be a major disruptor in the food and beverage industry. Specializing in honey-sweetened soda and tea, as well as flavor-infused raw honey, Yes, Honey offers the world’s first food products labeled “Alpha-gal friendly.” Alpha-gal syndrome (AGS) is a severe allergy to mammalian products including red meat and some dairy products, and it’s caused primarily by Lone Star tick bites. 

Former homeschool mom turned entrepreneur Heather Mincer created the honey products when she and her son were diagnosed with Alpha-gal syndrome. What started as a way to enjoy allergy-friendly products at home quickly became much bigger, bringing those products to the community—and well beyond. “My goal was never to create a beverage company,” laughs Mincer. “That was never on my radar.” 

Mincer’s family moved to Missouri from upstate New York in 2022, seeking a slower pace and deeper community connection—a place “where people are willing to sit and have a real conversation with you.” Her family began raising chickens for meat, selling at local farmers markets under the cleverly named Naked Chicks Pasture. That summer, Mincer experienced severe reactions to insect bites and certain foods, leading her on a frustrating, months-long search for answers. In December 2022, she received her AGS diagnosis. Her teenage son was diagnosed one month later. 

AGS, or the “red meat allergy,” forces those affected to eliminate most, if not all, mammalian products from their diets. Many have to completely avoid anything containing dairy, gelatin, and notably, refined sugars, which are often processed with bone char.