Dave Owns, Director of Culinary at Honeybee – Interview Series

Cannabis edibles and other smokeless options have evolved far beyond brownies or firecrackers made in a friend’s toaster oven—and so has the expertise of the producers making them. The creators behind today’s most popular edible brands often bring years, if not decades, of culinary experience across diverse specialties. From executive chefs and master pastry bakers to chocolatiers from top luxury brands, the sheer depth of their background could easily fill its own Food Network series.

For a closer look at effective edible production strategies and the transferable skills connecting fine chocolate making with multi-flavored cannabis gummies, mycannabis.com spoke with Dave Owens, Director of Culinary at Honeybee.

How did studying culinary arts at St Louis Community College provide you with an advantage when you started your culinary career? How did the courses at St Louis Community College influence your own as a chef and your business acumen?

The culinary program at STLCC has been in existence for many years and the fact that it has lasted while many private culinary programs have gone under is a testament to the quality of the program. I believe that this quality in depth education gave me a foothold on the industry and gave me the knowledge to have a successful career in food service. This is much like a musician learning the basics and reading music. It gave me a very solid foundation. 

I think my time at STLCC allowed me to explore the fundamentals and to take that information and develop my own culinary style. 

Prior to working with Bissinger’s and Proper Cannabis, where were the main restaurants you worked at? How did those restaurants give you even further opportunities to strengthen your skills and expertise?

For 16 years I was the executive chef and partner at Cardwell’s at the Plaza here in St. Louis. After that my wife (who is also a chef) and I were partners in a restaurant named Terrene. This was the first green business model restaurant in the area. We focused on farm to table while having a robust recycling program, compositing and using our waste oil for biofuel. Both Cardwell’s and Terrene were voted best new restaurant when they opened.

I think in addition to the food aspect for these restaurants I also learned about running a profitable successful business and managing the teams that we employed.  

From a creative and business standpoint, what all went into the design of the 100 new confectionary products that you introduced? How did you and the Bessinger’s team determine what products and flavors would be on the menu?

Depending on the item, some of these were revamps or updating of existing offerings or all new to the market. We tried to focus on a blend of the new and contemporary while keeping in mind the over 350 years of history of the Bissinger’s brand. It was very important to not alienate our legacy customers but still draw in folks that were new to the brand. 

In particular, what were the products and standards you introduced to Bessinger’s that you’re most proud of? Which proved to be the most popular among customers, and what were the most prestigious events you attended on behalf of Bessinger’s?

There were several standouts. We were the recipients of seven SOFI (specialty outstanding food innovation) awards with our products. 

One of the most interesting were chocolate covered wine grapes. Red wine infused dried muscat grapes, covered in dark chocolate. There was also a version that had a great combination of wine grape, chocolate and blue cheese. May seem odd, but it was a stellar wine pairing. 

We developed a line of filled chocolate bars, like dark chocolate with blood orange caramel that was infused with rosemary and topped with candied hazelnuts. We also had a line of shelf stable fresh cream truffles and real fruit gummy pandas. There we so many that it is hard to pick out just a few. 

What caught your attention about the Missouri cannabis industry and utilizing your culinary experience for cannabis edible production?

I met a team that was applying for licensure with the medical cannabis program. We unfortunately were not awarded any licenses, so I decided to pivot and sent an old-fashioned cover letter and resume to every address that was awarded a manufacturing of infused products license and while all but one of these letters were returned unopened, the partners at Proper called me up when they received my information and we met and hit it off right away. 

I found this new legal cannabis landscape very interesting and a once in a generation event and I wanted to be apart of it. It helped that he Bissinger’s business was being sold and I wanted to try something different. 

How did your culinary arts studies and your experience at Bessinger’s give you a greater understanding of the requirements of quality edibles production that Honeybee is well-known for?

All along I felt that the offerings in the edibles space were lacking and that using traditional confectionary methods along with premium ingredients could really improve what was on the market. While the requirements of producing cannabis infused edibles are strict, I believe we are just adding another ingredient albeit a highly regulated one. 

As someone with an extensive career in the culinary arts, what are your favorite duties as Director of Culinary with Proper Cannabis? How has your culinary experience helped the brand grow beyond what it was when you first arrived?

I think my favorite parts of the role is the creation of new products that are successful in the marketplace and representing the brand to the consumer. I want to be sure to say that all of this couldn’t happen without the team we have built to produce and pack our offerings. 

Since I was here at the inception, I have had a hand in shaping the brand and developing the items that we have in our portfolio. It was truly a start up from the ground up and I think the attention to detail from the whole Proper team shows up in our products, from the edible part to the packaging, we really have something special. 

What are some similarities between your role and duties with Bessinger’s and your role in Proper Cannabis’ edibles kitchen? How do you best determine what gummy and chocolate flavors and products will be more popular with the consumers over others?

In both roles, I was instrumental in product development and as a Brand ambassador. I also developed the food safety plans for both organizations. At Proper this led to our certification with CSQ-Cannabis Safety & Quality. We are the only cannabis company in Missouri with this certification. 

I am usually always thinking about new products. Sometimes a new ingredient can trigger an idea or a request from Sales or Marketing. I try to keep a couple of items always in my pocket to be ready when we need to release something new. 

What are some Missouri cannabis rules and regulations that you feel are cumbersome to the production process or otherwise prevent edible cannabis products from reaching their full potential?

This is a highly regulated space, and I think that it can interfere with product development. While we develop non-infused, I have to go purchase our finished products to see how they worked out.  With the regulations, you just get used to operating in this way. 

What are some exciting future plans for Honeybee? How do you plan on helping to expand the brand even further, and are there any possible new flavors on the horizon?

We have a new gumdrop coming out for fall, Spiced Apple Cider. We are also working on a new filled chocolate piece. We have new packaging launch in ’27.  

Thank you for joining us, Dave! For more information on Honeybee’s products, please visit its website.