For five pals from landslide-torn Mundakkai, Honey business makes life sweet

KALPETTA: Out of the mud and memories of a devastating landslide, five childhood friends from Mundakkai have crafted a sweet new beginning. Their venture, WynCrave, which began with the simple idea of packing honey in sachets, has now grown into a brand with 35 products on shelves across Kerala. The idea took shape in August 2024, during a late-night tea stop on the Ghat Road at Vythiri. On their way back, one of the friends picked up a Rs 2 tube of Choki Choki, the chocolate paste they once savoured as schoolchildren. The nostalgic moment sparked a question: what if honey could be packaged just as conveniently? Within months, the five friends Shuaib Abdul Razak, 25, Firshad, 26, Shuhail P P, 25, Sinan Siraj, 24, and Rashid Babu, 25 turned the thought into reality. They launched Rs 5 sachets of honey, selling them near schools, gyms, resorts, and colleges. What began as an experiment has since scaled into a business producing around 25,000 sachets a day. But for the group, WynCrave is more than a business. It is survival. The Mundakkai landslide had torn apart their world, destroying homes and claiming loved ones. Their livelihood, once tied to tourism and hospitality, collapsed when their family resort was buried in the debris. I was a graphic designer in Dubai at the time of the landslide, says Shuaib. Afterward, I resigned and returned home. All my friends had either lost family members or their houses. We had no income. Thats when we decided to start the honey business. WynCrave Spices The journey was far from smooth. When we researched, we realised no brand in India sold honey sachets offline. There was a huge market. But the biggest hurdle was finding the right machine. We tried several from Coimbatore all failed. Finally, we built a custom-made machine ourselves, he recalls. Today, WynCrave sources honey from farms in Nilambur, as well as wild and forest honey from government societies in Wayanad. The team has already invested Rs 30 lakh in the venture, with an expected turnover of `1 crore this year. With presence in Kerala, Bengaluru, and Coimbatore, the friends are now setting their sights on exports. Everything we had was buried, Shuaib says. But we didnt want our dreams to be buried too. WynCrave is our way of proving that we can stand again. From humble sachets, the brand has expanded into flavoured teas, coffee blends, and spices. Its 35 products are now finding space on shelves far beyond Wayanad. Each packet, the friends say, carries not just flavour but a story of loss, resilience, and the will to begin again.