ASHEVILLE, N.C. — An Asheville couple is running a honey retail store and tasting bar, while educating the community on the importance of bees.

“I used to have an office job in a cubicle and I didn’t like it,” Jillian Kelly says.

She and her wife are now the owners of Asheville Bee Charmer. They make roughly 35 different types of honey, and they allow people to come in and try the different flavors.

Kelly also pursues her passion as a beekeeper. She has multiple bee yards where she sources honey and provides food for bees.

“Make sure wherever you buy honey from, it’s real honey and not corn syrup,” Kelly says.

A study from Rutgers University researchers explained the significance of honey bees everywhere. Reports show a lack of pollination can lead to scarcity in certain crops.

“We get to impart a message to our customers that you don’t have to be a beekeeper to save a bee,” Kelly says. “You can not spray. You can plant native plants to whatever you’re in, and that provides food for bees.”