Manuka Honey is made by bees that forage on the flowers of the Manuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium), which grows wild across New Zealand. It flowers for only a few weeks each summer. What sets it apart is a set of natural compounds, led by methylglyoxal (MGO), found at levels no other honey reaches, plus a richer, earthier flavour than table honey.

Most people take it as a daily wellness routine, a spoonful straight, stirred into warm water or tea, or over breakfast. It's also popular as a natural ingredient in skincare and haircare. Every batch of ours is tested and graded so you know exactly what's in the jar.

Three reasons. The Manuka tree flowers for only two to six weeks a year, so the harvest window is tiny. It grows in remote parts of New Zealand, so hives are often placed by helicopter. And every batch is independently tested for four natural markers before it can carry a UMF™ grade. Rarer honey, harder to collect, verified before it ships.

UMF™ checks four natural markers in the honey at an independent lab. MGO, leptosperin, DHA and HMF, so the number covers both how potent it is and whether it is genuinely Manuka. A higher number means a rarer, more concentrated honey. It is the only grading system that checks all four, which is why we print it on every jar alongside our licence number.

No. MGO measures one compound, methylglyoxal. UMF™ measures that plus three other natural markers, and is backed by a licensing system with audits. The two don't convert to each other, but every UMF™ grade has a minimum MGO level. We print both numbers so you can compare our jars against anything on the shelf.

Concentration and rarity. UMF™ 10+ (MGO 263+) is an everyday grade with a smooth, mild flavour. UMF™ 24+ (MGO 1122+) has more than four times the MGO, a deeper, more intense taste, and comes from a much smaller share of each harvest. Both are genuine, tested Manuka, the higher grade is simply more concentrated.

There's no set amount - it's a food, so use it the way you'd use any honey. Most of our customers get through about a teaspoon a day, in tea, on toast or straight off the spoon. Higher grades are richer, so people tend to use a little less. The grade you'll actually finish is the right one.

Every batch is tested by an accredited New Zealand laboratory and meets the New Zealand government's official Manuka definition before it can be exported. The lot number on your jar pulls up that batch's own results and the site it was harvested from.

Keep it in the pantry with the lid on, no refrigeration. Crystallisation is normal and a sign of raw, unpasteurised honey; stand the jar in warm water to soften it. Each jar carries a best-before date on the base.