Wow, what happened? We ponder this question as we sit here after what was a terrible season, looking at our pathetic harvest. All the beekeepers up and down the country tell a tale of the same woes. A perfect-storm situation for a low yield crop -shocking weather right from mid spring to late summer, rain, wind, and cold. Queen bees didn’t get mated in spring, manuka flowering was weaker than normal, bees sheltered in their hives during the nectar flow and what nectar flow there was, got washed from the manuka blossom by the rain. Bugger! Thankfully, we have stocks of manuka, maturing from previous seasons and from our experience a great year usually follows a bad one. It allows us time to reflect and prepare for 2018 season. Bring it on! On a very positive note, Avatar’s new labels look incredible! It really captures the essence of the brand and brings a structured hierarchy to our honey portfolio. Thanks to the team at Gregory Studio for all the hard work in pulling this off. MPI keeps pushing out the release date of the NZ government’s new manuka honey definition/standard, so we have had to push on and print the labels without knowing what changes we will need to make following MPI’s release of the new definition. But the show must go on… Finally, we are working on some new exciting honey products to add to our portfolio…watch this space!
Quick answer: Manuka honey can fit before or after exercise as a simple carbohydrate-rich food, especially when you want a naturally sweet option with toast, yoghurt, oats, smoothies, or fruit. It is not a performance guarantee, but a small amount can be a practical pantry choice for active days when timing, taste, and easy energy matter.
Short answer: Yes, you can eat Manuka honey every day as part of a balanced routine, provided you treat it as a sweet food, keep portions sensible, and stay aware of your overall sugar intake.
Short answer: 80 percent Manuka pollen means that, in the pollen count for that honey sample, around 80 percent of the identifiable pollen came from the mānuka plant. It points to floral source, not strength, medical effect, or MGO level.
Stephen Franks
May 02, 2018
I liked that explanation of the 2017 harvest among all the sharp photos and product descriptions.
Thanks for the delicious honey Cathy received.