In a city full of ambitious teens juggling AP classes, sports practices and college applications, Stamford High School sophomore Rachel Angotto has added beekeeper and business owner to her résumé, and she’s doing it with a whole lot of buzz. Meet the founder of Honey Bunny, a local honey brand that proves you’re never too young to turn passion into something truly sweet.
The Honey Bunny story begins with a childhood lemonade stand.
“I’ve wanted to run my own small business ever since I helped my sister with her lemonade stand,” Angotto says. “Watching people enjoy something she created made me want to build something of my own.”
Since her sister had lemonade covered, and her grandfather had an abundance of honey from his hives, selling it felt like the perfect next step.
That idea eventually grew into something meaningful for the teen. Angotto’s connection to bees began with her grandfather, who started keeping hives after he was diagnosed with cancer and sought healthier, more natural foods.
“That’s what led him to learn about bees and eventually start his own beehive,” she says. “I watched him work on it from the very beginning.” A lifelong animal lover, Angotto eagerly jumped in to help, slowly becoming what she calls his “mini business partner.”
Even the name Honey Bunny carries childhood charm.
“I grew up with bunnies in the backyard, where our first bee farm was located. So, when it came to naming the business, Honey Bunny just felt right,” she says.
She was only 6 years old at the time. What started as a hand-drawn sign for a small honey table eventually became the official logo and face of the business.
Of course, building a honey business isn’t always a smooth process. One of Honey Bunny’s biggest challenges came during the COVID-19 pandemic, when several queen bees were lost. “Without the queen, the bees stopped producing honey,” Angotto says. With demand high, production dropped significantly. But instead of shutting down, she adapted, limiting the number of jars customers could purchase while openly explaining why honey was suddenly harder to produce. With patience, time and her grandfather’s dedicated care of the hives, production eventually returned to normal.
For Agnotto, one moment stands out above the rest.
“I received an offer to have Honey Bunny sold in a store,” she says. “It made me feel proud and excited to see how far the business had come.”
Looking ahead, she hopes to expand Honey Bunny and offer it in even more retail locations. And she wants to continue growing the brand after she finishes high school and is off to college. Her goal is to grow it into a trusted local product known for its flavor and health benefits.
Stamford residents can buy Honey Bunny directly through Agnotta, as well as at Cielito Lindo Market and FreshCo in Stamford, Vima Ro & Co. in Bridgeport and Mosaico Cuisine in North Haven. One thing’s certain: Agnotto proves that when passion meets patience and a few hardworking bees, great things can happen. For more information, see @rachel_honeybunny on Instagram.