Frequently asked questions

Questions about our honey

• How should I store my honey?

  Honey is one of the few natural products that are self-preserving. Unlike most products, it does not need to be kept in the refrigerator after opening. The optimum temperature to store honey is between 14-20°C. The best way to store honey is in a cupboard, away from heat sources and direct sunlight.

• How do I know if I’m buying genuine UMF® mānuka honey?

  There are a number of different trials being conducted, including newly emerging work on determining what the special nature of UMF® mānuka is.

  Genuine UMF® mānuka honey should include the presence of special chemical markers including Leptosperin and Methylglyoxal (MGO). The UMF® rating measures these attributes and assures purity and quality.

  UMF® is the registered trademark of the UMF® Honey Association and can only be used by licensed operators that meet published standards such as regular monitoring and auditing of the quality of their honey. We provide a full batch trace service through our HoneyID™ tool, so that buyers are able to check the authenticity of each and every one of our jars of UMF® mānuka honey.

  Trace your UMF® honey here.

• What is the difference between active honey and UMF®?

  In short, all honey is active. It means the honey has some level of peroxide level. Unfortunately, there are no global restrictions on using the term active when describing honey, which can be misleading. Genuine UMF® mānuka honey has non-peroxide activity, which is the powerful antibacterial property not found in other honeys. If you want to be sure that the honey you are buying contains the best health properties, make sure you look for the UMF® grading and check the level of MGO. Don’t rely simply on a number printed on the label.

• Why is mānuka honey more expensive than other honeys?

  Mānuka honey is unique to New Zealand and to obtain pure mānuka honey is a specialised task for beekeepers. Mānuka honey is more difficult to extract and has a limited harvest period as it is only collected at certain times of the year. The unique properties of mānuka honey are well understood by consumers around the world, thereby creating a continually high level of demand.

• Can UMF® mānuka honey be used on my skin?

  Mānuka honey has been shown to have excellent benefits for the skin. Genuine mānuka honey is the perfect natural alternative for helping manage acne and skin infections. It’s also a natural moisturiser that improves skin hydration because it’s able to absorb moisture directly from the air and draw it into the skin.

• What does the UMF® level stand for?

  One of the chemical markers used to indicate the level or rating of each UMF® mānuka honey is Methylglyoxal (or MGO). This is the chemical that was identified originally as giving mānuka honey its unique antibacterial characteristics. The UMF® level varies based on the amount of MGO present in the honey.

  Find out more here.

• Can I use your honey in my cooking or baking?

  Honey is equal parts indulgence and pantry staple for your cooking. Great for glazing to get that lovely brown crispness, a natural preservative for pickles and sauces, it also retains moisture for deliciously dense, moist cakes, with a touch of colour.

  Foodies love mānuka honey for its rich, complex bittersweet flavour that adds another dimension to food altogether. When using honey in a recipe, remember it's about twice as sweet as sugar.

  We have loads of recipes using our honey here.
  

• Can children eat honey?

  Children over 12 months of age can eat our honey safely.