The expensive honey comes in a case made from American black walnut, with Italian leather lining and antique gold detailing. Photo / Manuka South
The expensive honey comes in a case made from American black walnut, with Italian leather lining and antique gold detailing. Photo / Manuka South
While most New Zealanders can pick up a jar of mānuka honey at the supermarket for under $20, one producer is selling its offering at one of London’s most prestigious department stores for £2000 ($4600) a pop.
Customers had been making a beeline to Harrods of London to buy the“world’s most luxurious” New Zealand-made mānuka honey, the Daily Mail reported.
The company behind the product is Manuka South, which produces the honey from hives in the South Island. The company says its honey is matured over 1400 days, and undergoes more than 100 laboratory tests to ensure its quality and potency.
The honey on sale at Harrods is presented in a handcrafted American black walnut case with Italian leather lining, antique gold detailing and laser-engraved crystal viewing windows, while the recycled glass jar comes with a dust bag and a booklet signed by the founders.
The company claims on its website it is “the most luxurious mānuka honey in the world”.
Rogers, who is also secretary of the Honey Guild of the United Kingdom, said she was not convinced mānuka variants were greatly superior to her local honey.
“It definitely is superior on wounds ... Most people probably wouldn’t enjoy it. It’s got quite a medicinal flavour.”
Luxury food YouTuber Carmie Sellitto bought a jar and drizzled the honey on a £1.45 Greggs sausage roll. Photo / Carmie Sellitto
The extreme price of the honey has attracted influencers, too.
Luxury food YouTuber Carmie Sellitto bought a jar and drizzled the honey on a £1.45 ($3.30) Greggs sausage roll.
He said the combination “surprisingly, really worked”, adding, “either that or I was just convincing myself because I spent so much money on it”.
