Our Process
The entire process from the bees to the pot is completed on farm.
We care for the bees, providing them with everything they need to enable them to collect nectar from the flowers of the Manuka Trees.
We do this by providing a warm, dry, and healthy hive, in locations on farm where they are sheltered from the wind, yet in the warmth of the sun. We ensure that they are healthy by doing regular checks on brood health, and queen health. If the bees are healthy and happy they produce more quality honey for us to enjoy.
Once the nectar is collected it is ripened by the bees in the hives and turned into honey. We harvest the surplus honey that the bees produce. The harvest is done once the manuka trees have finished flowering for the season.
The manuka honey (in the frames) is taken to our on farm certified RMP extraction facility where the honey is spun out of the frames in a centrifuge.
This honey is then filtered to remove any little bits of bees wax that may come off the frames during the centrifuge process.
The honey is then filled into drums. These drums are stored at 20 degrees celsius in our on farm RMP facility storage room until it is ready to go into retail size pots.
At potting time usually the honey is creamed. Creaming is a completely natural process to encourage the honey to form very fine crystals to give it a smooth, creamy texture.
We cream, and pack, and pot our honey on farm too.
Because we grow the Manuka, collect the honey with our own bees, and extract, store and pot it…. we can ensure our product is genuine New Zealand Manuka Honey.
Unique Mānuka Factor (UMF)
Mountain Gold Manuka is approved for producing and exporting Manuka Honey by the New Zealand Government Ministry of Primary Industries, and these approvals also involve regular compliance and audit inspections of our facility.
In addition to this, we choose to be members of the UMF Honey Association, which offers further assurances to you. The UMF Honey Association appoints independent auditors to regularly check and analyse samples from the marketplace, to help protect consumers from counterfeit product. They also have a programme of standardised testing in place across all territories where UMF Manuka Honey products are sold, and they continue to invest heavily in industry leading scentific research of Manuka Honey, as a way of future-proofing the industry.
Our Product Is Completely Natural
Our honey is creamed prior to being packed into pots. This is a natural process whereby the honey is dropped in temperature to 14 degrees celsius and stirred for a few days. The natural process of crystallisation takes place. Stirring the honey means that the crystals stay small and uniform, giving it a smooth consistency for you to enjoy.
Our product is completely natural. Nothing has been added to it at any time.
Once packed into pots it is labelled and ready to be enjoyed.
Lets not forget the bees. While the honey is being extracted at the end of the season, we as bee keepers are caring for the bees and ensuring that they are healthy and happy before winter.