Mellody Foods’ Darko Mandich and Dr. Aaron Schaller are on a Mission to Save the World’s Honeybees

Written by: Annie Taranshansky

As we embark on a season full of sweet treats, this month the PBFA team spoke to Darko Mandich, CEO and Co-Founder of Mellody Foods—a plant-based honey company on a mission to save the world’s native pollinators from extinction. The honeybee, one of our world’s hardest working pollinators, is often overlooked in the fight to reform our conventional food system; yet, our native bee species are undeniably crucial to maintaining ecological harmony. Mellody Foods and its parent company, MeliBio—founded alongside Dr. Aaron Schaller—know this better than anyone, and they have their sights set on a world where bees and humans can thrive together.

Mellody Foods’ plant-based honey is unique, harnessing a new method of honey production that mimics every aspect of bee-made honey – minus the bees. This bee-free honey-making operation is regenerative, sustainable, environmentally protective, and as, if not more, delicious than farmed honey. In a world that often pays little mind to one of the most vitally important native species of our ecosystem, Mellody Foods is ready to reshape conventional honey production and do away with bee farming once and for all.

Q: Can you tell us a bit more about the history of Mellody and the inspiration behind its founding?

A: Mellody’s story began with the launch of MeliBio, the parent company behind Mellody, and the shared passion of Darko Mandich and Dr. Aaron Schaller who both recognized the need for a sustainable and kinder approach to honey production. Darko Mandich, a former honey executive, saw the negative impact of honey production on the biodiversity of native bee species. Upon immigrating to California, he met Dr. Aaron Schaller and together, they decided to pioneer a future for honey that creates a world where humans and bees thrive.

What do people need to know about Mellody’s mission? Can you speak to your company’s core values?

1. Ecological Harmony

It’s not just about making vegan honey; it’s about regenerating native pollinators and ecosystems. Our long-term vision is to play an active role in supporting habitat restoration for a healthier planet and food system for all.

2. Challenge the Status-Quo

We’re passionate about creativity and imagining new ways of being and doing. Our team is full of experts and changemakers who embrace the idea of visioning a new (and better) future.

3. Embrace Sweetness

Life needs more sweetness, now more than ever. We’re here to make things more satisfying through our plant-based honey that will level up your sipping, baking, and more.

One of the goals of this series is to help shine a light on the stories and individuals behind the companies. What is your big “why” for working in the plant-based foods industry? Is there a particular aspect of changemaking that motivated your work and passion?

My biggest “why” is taking animals out of food production to make our planet a better place for us and all the beings we share the planet with. At Mellody we are also passionate about using the power of plants to make delicious and nutritious foods and scaling plant powered approaches to making food at a cost accessible to everyone.

Honey production is often an overlooked unsustainable conventional farming practice in our food system. Why do you believe there is a need for change in the honey industry? Why is removing honeybees from the honey equation so imperative to the stability of our agricultural ecosystem?

Native bees (4,000 species in the US alone) and ecosystems are at risk. Around 80% of U.S. crops rely on pollination from non-native European honey bees, which are shipped and used on commercial farms and honey operations, leaving little for them. The rest of our crops depend entirely on the original native pollinators, which are now at risk of extinction due to fierce competition from honey bees and environmental destruction.

It’s time to reconsider our approach and find a way to protect these important pollinators. We’re committed to promoting ecological balance by creating more space for native pollinators. At Mellody, we’re doing our part by creating sticky, drippy, and delicious plant-based honey. We believe that by providing a delicious alternative to commercial honey, we can help support the preservation of our native bees and ecosystems. By enjoying the sweetness of our plant-based honey, you’re joining us in our mission to restore native habitats and ecological harmony.

Mellody has embarked on a noble mission to protect and advocate for an underrepresented and deeply essential contributor to the overall health of our ecosystem. Do you feel a certain sense of responsibility to the industry and our planet’s hardworking pollinators to reform and raise awareness around our current bee farming practices? If so, how does this sustainability promise contribute to the culture of your company?

By focusing on native bees and promoting diversity, Mellody is working to preserve planetary health and protect bee species worldwide. Our commitment to sustainability and cutting-edge food technology has allowed us to develop a solution that benefits both humans and bees. This reduces our reliance on traditional honey production methods and mitigates the negative effects of commercial beekeeping practices.

Mellody – and your parent company MeliBio – by all accounts are the pioneers of the budding plant-based honey industry, leading the charge in establishing a researched, science-backed system for sustainable and regenerative honey production. What is it about your honey product that has so successfully distinguished your company from other common honey alternatives?

Our plant-based honey is the closest match to traditional bee-made honey on the market. Unlike other vegan honey alternatives, which are often made with a combination of other syrups such as rice bran, agave, coconut nectar, allulose, and gums, Mellody uses sugars and acids that are on par with bee-made honey. This unique approach results in a product that is just as sweet, sticky, and golden as traditional honey without the need for beekeeping.

Mellody tastes, feels, and performs just like bee-made honey. It even crystallizes! It’s also a perfect 1:1 culinary match to bee-made honey in all applications, whether you’re marinating, drizzling, baking, or sipping making it a favorite amongst our chef partners.

In your ideal future, how do you hope to see the success of Mellody plant-based honey applied and harnessed in the next decade? Additionally, how would you like to see the honey industry’s attitude shift towards regenerative honey?

Our vision of success is a world where humans and bees (especially native bees) thrive. We want to see Mellody as America’s #1 honey brand making a positive impact on bee biodiversity. We’d like to see the honey industry reimagined towards more sustainable and planet-friendly ways of producing honey.

What has been the most rewarding moment or pivotal milestone you’ve witnessed during your time at Mellody? As a plant-based company, are there any big moments of celebration you’d like to share, or any obstacles you’ve successfully overcome?

Our most rewarding moment has always been watching our customers love our products while we get the opportunity to make a real difference & save our bees. There is nothing better than seeing people’s faces and reactions when they taste Mellody!

Can you give us a sneak peek into any notable news or exciting product launches in the pipeline for 2023/2024?

We are gearing up for an exciting product launch at Expo West 2024 that will provide our foodservice customers and consumers alike with a new way of imagining honey in savory applications. We can’t wait to unveil it soon!

Where can we learn more about Mellody?

You can visit and learn more about us on https://mellodyfoods.com/