Honestly Mānuka touches down in the UK

New Zealand honey brand Honestly Mānuka has launched in the UK, with a range of monofloral mānuka honey featuring independently tested methylglyoxal (MGO) levels and batch traceability.

The range comprises three strengths: Defensive (MGO 350+), Restorative (MGO 550+) and Intensive (MGO 850+), alongside Get Well Spoon, a five-serving format with an MGO level of 850+.

Founded by Brittany and James Dowell in the UK, alongside New Zealand-based beekeepers Jim Crump and Gwena Gilbert, the brand sources honey from a single location and season at a time, rather than blending from different regions or harvests. Its current batch comes from Northland, New Zealand, where it was harvested in 2024 and aged for a year before release.

Each batch is independently tested for MGO, a naturally occurring compound associated with antibacterial activity. The verified MGO level is displayed on the packaging, while the brand’s Trace a Jar function allows customers to check a batch’s provenance and test results.

“We saw an opportunity to do something differently in a category where consumers can be faced with a lot of terminology and not necessarily enough explanation,” says Brittany. “We want to make the provenance and potency of mānuka much easier to understand, while ensuring the people producing the honey are properly recognized and rewarded.”

Bee fair

The company works directly with independent beekeepers in Northland, paying a fair price for its honey and offsetting the carbon associated with transporting it to the UK. Crump, who has a decade of beekeeping experience, is part of the founding team.

“Our ambition is bigger than launching another honey brand,” says James. “We want to help people understand what they're buying; where it came from, its MGO level, and confidence that the number on the label represents the honey in the jar.”

By Jane Wolfe, contributor