Manuka Honey


Manuka Honey

 

Manuka Honey – New Zealand’s Most Celebrated Native Honey

By Mountain Gold Manuka

Mountain Gold Manuka Honey is a naturally powerful, richly textured honey renowned for its depth of flavour, exceptional viscosity, and unique natural compounds. Harvested from uncultivated Manuka forests at Mount Bruce, New Zealand, our Manuka honey represents purity, provenance, and care from hive to jar.

Character & Flavour

Manuka honey is distinguished by its deep amber colour and naturally thick, viscous texture — one of the highest viscosities of any honey. Its flavour profile is bold and complex, often described as earthy, herbaceous, mineral-rich, and slightly bitter, with aromatic notes reminiscent of damp earth, heather, and native bush. This intensity makes Manuka honey unmistakable and highly prized.

In addition to being enjoyed as a premium table honey, Manuka honey has long been valued for its functional properties, with traditional and modern uses extending into skincare and topical applications.

What Makes Manuka Honey Unique

The defining compound in Manuka honey is Methylglyoxal (MGO) — a naturally occurring component present in significantly higher levels in Manuka honey than in other floral honeys. While most honeys contain only trace amounts (0–5 mg/kg), genuine New Zealand Manuka honey contains at least 50 mg/kg of MGO, contributing to its distinctive characteristics.

Every batch of Mountain Gold Manuka Honey is independently laboratory tested in New Zealand to verify MGO levels and ensure compliance with strict export and quality standards. This testing allows us to confidently guarantee the authenticity and quality of our honey.

The Manuka Plant (Leptospermum scoparium)

New Zealand Manuka (Leptospermum scoparium) is an evergreen shrub or small tree growing approximately 2–5 metres tall, flowering from late November through early February. It produces delicate white flowers, often with a hint of red at the centre, and thrives particularly on the drier eastern regions of both the North and South Islands.

Manuka is one of New Zealand’s great pioneer plants — often the first native species to naturally regenerate on cleared farmland. On our property, all Manuka is uncultivated, regenerated naturally from seed banks that have lain dormant in the soil for decades. Where pasture once grew, Manuka now blankets the hillsides, creating an ideal, untouched forage environment for our bees.

Cultural & Ecological Significance

Māori have long recognised the value of Manuka, traditionally using infusions of its bark, leaves, capsules, and seeds for a range of applications. The Manuka plant also plays a role in native wildlife behaviour — kākāriki parakeets are known to chew Manuka leaves and bark or mix them with preen gland oil to help manage parasites, highlighting the plant’s natural protective qualities.

Independent UMF™ & MGO Testing

All Mountain Gold Manuka Honey is produced to meet New Zealand export standards and undergoes comprehensive independent laboratory testing. On our UMF™ certified Manuka honey, we proudly display verified grading information on every jar.

The UMF™ (Unique Manuka Factor) quality mark is an internationally recognised standard independently monitored by the UMF® Honey Association (UMFHA). The UMF™ grading system measures three key Manuka markers:

  • Methylglyoxal (MGO)

  • DHA

  • Leptosperin

Together, these compounds confirm the purity, quality, and authenticity of genuine New Zealand Manuka honey. Only honey that meets all UMF™ standards may carry the UMF™ mark, and the UMFHA conducts both regular audits and random sampling to ensure ongoing compliance.

Our Promise

Mountain Gold Manuka Honey is:

  • Produced by our family-run business

  • Harvested from uncultivated Manuka at Mount Bruce

  • Independently tested and certified in New Zealand

  • Packed in a Halal-certified, export-grade RMP facility

  • 100% Pure New Zealand Manuka Honey

  • Nothing added, nothing removed

We produce our own honey and stand behind every jar. This hands-on approach, combined with genuine care for our bees and environment, allows us to share a product we are deeply proud of — a true taste of New Zealand’s natural gold.

For more information on UMF™ grading and certification, visit the official UMF® Honey Association website.