Honey (Leptospermum scoparium) can be enjoyed on its own as a treat (straight from the spoon if you like!) or added to foods and drinks to give a warm sweetness. Honey is also very popular as an ingredient in skincare and natural health products. A true gift from nature, honey products have natural seasonal variation in flavour, colour and consistency, which also depends on the type of flowers that bees have collected the nectar from.

Different Types of Honey

There are several different types of honey for sale, each with a unique appearance and flavour.

• NZ Manuka Prized for its special New Zealand native manuka compounds, this honey in a rich amber colour and has strong, herbal and woody flavours.
• NZ Rewarewa A deep reddish coloured honey with a divine caramel taste.
• NZ Rata A unique whitish coloured honey, NZ Rata boasts a mild subtle flavour.
• NZ Honeydew The intense dark colour of this honey matches its rich taste. Clover Light in colour but not in flavour, clover honey has an intensely sweet taste.
• Thyme Beautifully aromatic, Thyme Honey has a delicate herbal, savoury flavour.
• Blue borage This clear honey has a unique herbal butterscotch flavour.

Manuka Honey UMF and MGO MGS

These are rating systems that guarantee the levels of special plant phenols. Higher numbers indicate higher levels. For more details on how the rating system works, read our blog Your Manuka Honey Questions Answered.

Our Sugar Policy excludes honey, because it is a food that is eaten in small amounts. Even though it may be a little hard to resist, we recommend that honey should not be over consumed due to its high natural sugar content.