Actual online orders on the Honestbee app

These days, convenience is the name of the game. If you need to use fresh tuna for your sinigang or organic veggies for your salad, you don’t have to drive to the supermarket or walk to the local wet market.

With just a tap of your phone screen, on the Honestbee app, you can order your cooking ingredients and your goods will be delivered to your doorstep by your “delivery bee” in less time than buying everything physically.

Convenience has become synonymous with Honestbee, which is described as “your friendly and trusted online concierge and delivery service.” What’s awesome about buying your grocery needs through Honestbee is that the prices are competitive, sometimes even cheaper compared to those at regular supermarkets or the neighborhood palengke.

Honestbee has recently partnered with some of the leading fresh and wet markets in the metro: Farmers Market in Cubao, Alabang Wet Market, and Pasig City Mega Market. In Cebu it has partnered with Carbon Public Market and Taboan Public Market.

This partnership assures Honestbee clients the most competitive prices and the freshest ingredients straight from the source. Upon placing your orders, Honestbee will dispatch a personal “concierge” or shopper who will pick up the best items for you.

“It feels good to go to the wet market and see all kinds of food,” said Honestbee brand and communications director Cat Avelino. “But it feels even better when someone can do the palengke for you while you’re in the comfort of your own home.”

Honestbee shopper bee Maryrose Melchor knows exactly where to get the best fruits and veggies.—PHOTOS BY LEO M. SABANGAN II

Farmers Market

We joined an Honestbee shopper bee one morning at Farmers Market. It is the go-to market for the freshest, most reasonably priced and rarest items.

That morning, shopper bee Maryrose Melchor received actual online orders from different Honestbee customers for assorted fresh fruits, seafood and veggies.

First customer ordered a kilo of banana latundan (P72) and half a kilo of lanzones (P120) with strict specifications that they should not be too ripe. Melchor, a well-trained shopper bee, knew exactly where to get them.

She went to an Honestbee-accredited fruit vendor, Alma Calibara, who also helped Melchor choose firm, sweet, not-too-ripe fruits. Sometimes, shopper bees would go to the extent of tasting the fruits themselves to ensure their freshness and sweetness for their customer’s satisfaction.

Another order came in for tanigue (Spanish mackerel, P495/750 g) and bangus (milkfish, P132/half kilo). Melchor dropped by Rizza’s Fresh Seafood and Mameng M’s stalls to get them.

To ensure freshness, Melchor told us the following parts of the fish should be checked: eyes (should be clear, plump and shiny); fins (wet and intact); flesh (firm and should spring back when pressed); gills (brighter color); and scales (moist, shiny and firm).

Last order of the day were veggies—kangkong (P12/bundle), patola (P72/750 g), and squash (P54/750 g). At Helen’s Vegetable stall, Melchor carefully scrutinized the long, hollow, crisp stems and leaves of kangkong that should be bright in color and unwilted; the patola had to be firm and smooth; and the squash, intact, firm and dry.

After purchasing and packing all the orders of the day, Melchor handed them over to Honestbee riders for prompt delivery.

Cat Avelino, Honestbee brand andcommunications director, shows off the bright yellow, reusable Honestbee bag.

Rigorous training

Honestbee customers don’t have to worry about the quality of produce they order, as the shopper bees are properly trained to pick only the best quality products. They know how to pick the freshest produce, recommend the most suitable substitutes in case an item is not available, and package the items properly.

“All our shopper bees go through rigorous training including exams, on-the-job training and simulations,” said Avelino. “Many of our shopper bees are mothers themselves so they know how to shop for their own families and feed their kids.”

She added: “We want our customers to have the confidence and assurance that our shopper bees have the required skills and attention to detail to pick only the best.”

Honestbee has about 10-12 accredited stall owners in Farmers Market with wholesale agreement. These stalls carry a yellow Honestbee signage, which is like a seal of approval for the freshness and quality of their produce.

Honestbee charges only P49 for the delivery and P99 for the shopper bee.

“Then again, that can be the cost of your parking and gas going to Farmers Market. In fact, you even pay more for the gas especially this holiday season when traffic gets worse and everything around you gets busy. Honestbee can do the shopping for you,” said Avelino.