Did you know the average worker bee produces 1/12 teaspoon of honey in her lifetime? Or that bees fly some 55,000 miles to produce around 400g of honey?
These are important facts to consider when you are wondering why raw honey is more expensive than the average price of a jar of honey in a supermarket.
Most if not all raw honey is priced at a higher rate than regular supermarket honey.
Here's why:
- It's better for your health.
- It has a proven provenance.
- It's not pasteurised (a process which guarantees the appearance of runny honey but reduces the quality of the honey).
- It's not blended with lesser quality kinds of honey or non-honey ingredients (a process which allows producers to sell more product for lower prices in supermarkets but we're not talking good honey here).
- Beekeepers are paid a fair price for their work.
- It tastes good – amazing in fact! Just like honey should taste (not like a sweet syrup). Manuka Honey is more expensive again, thanks to properties associated with health benefits and because it is relatively rare (only produced in New Zealand and Australia). But that's a story for another day. Gustare's Eucalyptus mono-floral raw honey retails at £9.99 for a 400g jar in the UK market. Compared with a cheap supermarket honey, this might seem a bit costly in your weekly shopping basket. But equating Gustare's honey or indeed any raw honey on the market with cheap supermarket honey is not a fair comparison.
We named our company Gustare Honey because we believe Australian raw honey is something that should be savoured. Gustare, after all, is Italian for “to taste, savour or enjoy.” In case you're wondering why we chose an Italian name, it is in part to recognise the Italian heritage of our co-founder Paul Costa.
Rather than comparing the price of raw honey to cheap supermarket honey and spreads, we think consumers are better off comparing the price of our honey to other food and drink products they enjoy tasting and savouring. Gustare's honey is not only a breakfast spread. It has unique flavours which make it a valuable ingredient for a variety of savoury dishes, as well as a delicious addition to sweet dishes and beverages, such as smoothies and cocktails – yum! And our entire range makes a mouth-watering accompaniment to a cheese platter.
If you like to eat honey every day, you might use a tablespoon (20g) a day. On this basis, our 400g jar will last you 20 days and cost you 50p per tablespoon (or 50p a day). By comparison, a decent bottle of Penfolds Shiraz (a good quality Australian wine), costing about £25, will last you one or two days at home, serving six glasses, at the cost of £4.17 per glass. The takeaway coffee (sourced from quality coffee beans) you buy on your way to work costs between £1.50 and £3. That French macaron, chocolate brownie or the protein ball you pick up for morning tea – at least £1.50. The iconic Mars bar costs 60p.
When you think about it this way, 50p a day for raw honey with a delightful flavour that lingers on your palate is a bargain. You can spread your enjoyment (and the cost) over many weeks. Oh, and by the way, it's good for you.