A Complete
Guide to
New Zealand
Raw Honey

Raw honey is honey that has been carefully extracted, lightly filtered to remove natural wax particles and bee debris, and never heat treated. Unlike heavily processed honey, raw honey retains the natural characteristics created by the bees and the flowers they forage.

Every harvest is unique. The colour, flavour, aroma and texture of raw honey naturally vary depending on the floral source, the season and the weather conditions. These subtle differences are part of what makes genuine raw honey so special—no two harvests are ever exactly the same.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our bees forage in the remote alpine landscapes of North Canterbury, where they collect nectar and honeydew from New Zealand's native flora. We gently extract our honey, never heat treat it, and pack it with minimal processing to preserve its natural flavour, aroma and character.

Whether you're enjoying our Mountain Beech Honeydew, New Zealand Native Bush Honey, Wild Blackberry & Mānuka, or premium Raw Mānuka Honey, every jar reflects the unique landscape and flowering season from which it came.

When choosing raw honey, look for a trusted New Zealand producer who is transparent about how their honey is harvested and processed. Genuine raw honey isn't made in a factory—it's crafted by bees, shaped by nature, and carefully preserved by the beekeeper.

Raw honey is honey that has been minimally processed to preserve its natural character.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our honey is cold extracted, never heat-treated and never blended, allowing it to retain its naturally occurring enzymes, pollen and distinctive flavour. In contrast, many commercially produced honeys are heated and filtered to create a consistently clear, runny appearance, which can reduce some of the naturally occurring components found in raw honey.

Every jar of Mt Lyford Honey reflects the unique flowers, season and alpine environment from which it was harvested, offering an authentic taste of New Zealand exactly as nature intended.

No. Genuine raw honey is not intentionally heat treated during production. Instead, it is carefully extracted from the honeycomb, gently filtered to remove natural wax particles and bee debris, and packed with minimal processing.

At Mt Lyford Honey, we never heat treat our honey. We believe the best honey doesn't need unnecessary processing—it simply needs careful handling from hive to jar. By avoiding heat treatment, each harvest retains the distinctive flavour, aroma and natural character created by the bees and the flowers they forage.

Many large-scale honey producers warm honey to make it easier to filter, blend and bottle in high volumes. Heating also helps keep honey liquid for longer, creating a more uniform appearance on supermarket shelves.

Because our honey is never heat treated, each batch remains true to nature. Colour may vary from pale gold to deep amber, flavours change with the seasons, and natural crystallisation is expected over time. These are not imperfections—they're signs of genuine raw honey.

When choosing raw honey, look for a producer who is transparent about how their honey is processed. Honey that has been carefully handled with minimal intervention offers an authentic reflection of the landscape, the flowering season and the craftsmanship behind every jar.

Raw honey is valued for its natural flavour, aroma and the naturally occurring compounds that are preserved through minimal processing. Exposure to high temperatures can gradually reduce some heat-sensitive components, including certain enzymes, which is why many people choose raw honey over highly processed honey.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our honey is cold extracted, never blended and never ultra heat-treated. We believe minimal processing allows each harvest to retain its authentic character, reflecting the unique flowers, season and remote alpine environment from which it came.

If you're enjoying raw honey in tea or other warm drinks, it's best to let the drink cool slightly before stirring in the honey. This helps preserve its natural characteristics while allowing you to enjoy its distinctive flavour.

Whether enjoyed straight from the spoon, drizzled over breakfast or added to warm foods and drinks, Mt Lyford Honey offers a genuine taste of New Zealand's high country, just as nature intended.

Yes. Raw honey can be a delicious substitute for refined sugar in many foods and drinks, offering natural sweetness together with the distinctive flavour and aroma created by the flowers visited by the bees.

Unlike refined white sugar, raw honey is a minimally processed food containing a natural blend of fructose and glucose. Because of this composition, some studies have shown that honey may produce a lower glycaemic response than refined sugar in certain situations. However, honey is still a source of naturally occurring sugars and, like all sweeteners, is best enjoyed in moderation as part of a balanced diet.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our honey is cold extracted, never blended and never ultra heat-treated, preserving its natural flavour, aroma and character. Every harvest reflects the unique flowers, season and remote alpine landscape of North Canterbury, giving each variety its own distinctive taste.

Whether stirred into tea, drizzled over yoghurt or used in your favourite recipes, genuine New Zealand raw honey is a naturally delicious alternative to refined sugar, bringing depth of flavour that refined sugar simply cannot match.

Yes. Raw honey can be enjoyed in hot tea, coffee and other warm drinks, adding natural sweetness and its distinctive floral flavour.

Because raw honey is minimally processed, it naturally contains heat-sensitive compounds. If you wish to preserve more of these natural characteristics, it's best to allow your drink to cool slightly before stirring in the honey, or add cold water to the honey before adding boiling water.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our honey is cold extracted, never blended and never ultra heat-treated, allowing each harvest to retain its authentic flavour, aroma and character. Whether you're sweetening your morning coffee, stirring honey into herbal tea or simply enjoying it by the spoonful, every jar reflects the unique flowers, season and remote alpine landscape of North Canterbury.

For the fullest flavour experience, many people also enjoy raw honey drizzled over toast, yoghurt, porridge or fresh fruit, where its natural taste can truly shine.

Yes. Raw honey pairs beautifully with fresh ginger and lemon, making a naturally delicious addition to warm drinks, herbal teas and homemade recipes.

Many people enjoy this combination for its comforting flavour, particularly during the colder months. While ginger, lemon and raw honey have all been traditionally used in home kitchens for generations, Mt Lyford Honey is sold as a premium food, not as a medicine, and we do not make therapeutic health claims about this combination.

For the best flavour and to help preserve the natural characteristics of raw honey, allow boiling water to cool slightly before stirring in the honey. This also lets the delicate floral notes of the honey shine through.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our honey is cold extracted, never blended and never ultra heat-treated, preserving the authentic flavour, aroma and character of each harvest. Whether enjoyed with ginger and lemon, drizzled over breakfast or simply by the spoonful, every jar reflects the unique flowers, season and remote alpine landscapes of North Canterbury.

No. Like all honey, raw honey should not be given to babies under 12 months of age.

Honey can naturally contain spores of the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. While these spores are harmless to older children and adults, they can pose a serious health risk to infants whose digestive systems are not yet fully developed.

Once a child is over 12 months of age, honey can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet. This advice applies to all honey, including raw honey, pasteurised honey and Mānuka honey.

At Mt Lyford Honey, we are committed to producing genuine New Zealand raw honey with the highest standards of quality and care. We also believe in providing clear, evidence-based information so you can enjoy our honey with confidence.

Many people believe that eating local raw honey can help reduce the symptoms of hay fever and seasonal allergies. While this idea has been shared for many years, there is currently limited scientific evidence to show that raw honey can prevent or treat seasonal allergies.

Hay fever is most commonly triggered by windborne pollens from grasses, trees and weeds. The small amounts of pollen naturally present in honey are often from different flowering plants and may not be the same pollens responsible for allergic reactions.

At Mt Lyford Honey, we don't make health claims about our honey. Instead, we focus on producing exceptional raw honey that reflects the unique alpine environment of North Canterbury. Our honey is cold extracted, never blended or heat-treated, preserving its natural flavour, aroma and character just as nature intended.

If you suffer from hay fever or seasonal allergies, it's best to seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Whether you enjoy our honey for its distinctive taste, its natural provenance or its connection to New Zealand's high country, you can be confident you're choosing genuine raw honey produced with care and minimal intervention.

Raw honey has been used for centuries as a traditional natural remedy for soothing sore throats and supporting general wellbeing. Some scientific research suggests that honey may help soothe coughs and sore throats, and medical-grade honey is used in certain clinical settings under professional supervision. However, not all honey is intended or approved for medical use.

Mt Lyford Honey is produced as a premium food, not as a medicine. Our raw honey is cold extracted, never blended and minimally processed to preserve its natural flavour, aroma and character. Whether enjoyed by the spoonful, stirred into a warm drink or drizzled over your favourite foods, it is a delicious way to enjoy the natural qualities of genuine New Zealand honey.

If you have a persistent sore throat, an infected wound or any ongoing health concern, seek advice from a qualified healthcare professional. Raw honey should never be given to infants under 12 months of age.

Crystallisation or hardened honey is a completely natural characteristic of genuine raw honey and a sign that it has been minimally processed.

Because Mt Lyford Honey is cold extracted, not heat treated and never blended, it retains its natural balance of sugars. Over time, the glucose naturally forms fine crystals, creating a firmer or creamier texture.

Different floral varieties crystallise at different rates, so every honey behaves a little differently.

Crystallised honey has not spoiled and retains the same quality, flavour and natural goodness. If you prefer a smoother consistency, simply place the sealed jar in warm (not boiling) water until the crystals gently dissolve.

Pure raw honey is one of nature's most remarkable foods. When stored correctly, it has an exceptionally long shelf life because its naturally low moisture content and acidity help preserve it. In fact, archaeologists have discovered well-preserved honey in ancient Egyptian tombs that is thousands of years old, demonstrating honey's extraordinary natural stability.

In New Zealand, all honey is required to carry a Best Before date. This relates to quality rather than safety. Over time, raw honey may naturally crystallise, darken slightly or develop a richer flavour, but these changes are part of its natural ageing process and do not mean it has spoiled.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our honey is cold extracted, never blended and never ultra heat-treated, preserving its natural flavour, aroma and character. For the best eating experience, store your honey in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight with the lid tightly sealed.

Like every harvest from Mt Lyford Honey, genuine raw honey continues to tell the story of its flowers, its season and its unique alpine origin long after it has been harvested.

Yes. Feeding bees sugar syrup is a common and widely accepted beekeeping practice in New Zealand when natural food sources are limited. Beekeepers may supplement colonies during periods of low nectar flow, after poor weather or over winter to help maintain healthy bee populations, using refined white sugar and raw sugar.

Mt Lyford Honey is different because our bees are fortunate to live in the remote alpine landscapes of North Canterbury, where they have access to an exceptional diversity of natural forage throughout the honey production season. They collect nectar from Mānuka, kānuka, wild blackberry, clover and native flowering plants, together with honeydew from mountain beech forests.

Because our bees have an abundance of natural nectar and honeydew available while producing the honey we harvest, we do not feed sugar syrup during the honey production season. Instead, every jar reflects the true botanical source, the unique alpine environment and the natural variation of each season.

We believe exceptional honey begins with exceptional forage. By allowing our bees to follow nature's rhythms, Mt Lyford Honey captures the authentic flavour, aroma and character of New Zealand's high country in every jar.

Choosing the right raw honey comes down to your personal taste and how you plan to enjoy it. At Mt Lyford Honey, each variety is harvested from the remote alpine landscapes of North Canterbury and carefully packed with minimal processing, allowing the natural characteristics of every floral source to shine.

If you enjoy bold, distinctive flavours, our Raw Mānuka Honey offers a rich, earthy profile with lingering herbal notes. Available in a range of MGO strengths, it's ideal for those looking to experience one of New Zealand's most celebrated honeys.

If you prefer something smooth and everyday, Mountain Beech Honeydew is our most popular honey. Harvested from the honeydew produced by native beech forests, it has a beautifully smooth, malty sweetness that makes it equally at home on toast, stirred into coffee, or enjoyed straight from the spoon.

For lovers of native New Zealand flavours, New Zealand Native Bush Honey offers a complex floral character with notes of kānuka and native bush blossoms, creating a honey that's rich, aromatic and uniquely New Zealand.

If you enjoy a fruity, well-balanced honey, Wild Blackberry & Mānuka Honey combines the delicate sweetness of wild blackberry blossoms with the depth of Mānuka, producing a beautifully rounded flavour that's delicious on breakfast favourites, cheeses and desserts.

If you prefer a smooth, spreadable texture, Creamed Mānuka Honey is carefully churned to create a fine, velvety consistency while remaining raw and never heat treated, making it perfect for spreading on fresh bread, crumpets or scones.

Whichever variety you choose, every jar reflects our commitment to producing genuine New Zealand raw honey with minimal intervention, allowing nature—and the bees—to create the flavour.

To keep your raw honey at its best, store it in a cool, dry place away from direct sunlight. Room temperature is ideal. Refrigerating honey is not recommended, as cooler temperatures encourage crystallisation.

Always replace the lid tightly after use to protect the honey from moisture, as honey naturally absorbs water from the air. Stored correctly, Mt Lyford Honey will retain its exceptional flavour and quality for years while continuing to reflect the unique characteristics of its natural harvest.

Authentic honey comes from a trusted beekeeper who is transparent about where their honey is produced, how it is harvested and how it is processed. While there is no reliable home test to identify adulterated honey, choosing a producer that provides clear provenance and, where appropriate, independent laboratory testing is the best way to buy with confidence.

Not all honey is created equal. Genuine raw honey begins with responsible beekeeping, careful harvesting and minimal processing, allowing the natural character of the honey to shine through. Natural variations in colour, flavour and texture from one harvest to the next are a hallmark of authentic honey, reflecting the flowers visited by the bees, seasonal conditions and the region where the honey was produced.

At Mt Lyford Honey, our honey is harvested from the remote alpine landscapes of North Canterbury, cold extracted, never blended and never ultra heat-treated. We do not feed our bees sugar syrup during the honey flow, and every batch is carefully packed with minimal processing to preserve its natural flavour, aroma and character.

For specialised honeys such as Mānuka honey, reputable producers also provide independent laboratory testing to verify authenticity and quality. Mt Lyford Honey's Mānuka honey is independently tested for its MGO content, and our products proudly carry the FernMark, recognising them as genuinely made in New Zealand.

Choosing genuine raw honey isn't about finding a perfectly uniform product—it's about choosing honey that reflects nature, the season and the craftsmanship of the beekeeper.