Our determination is to bring to the world a Honey entirely honest in nature, by keeping it RAW without the need for secondary processing. Subjecting Manuka to high temperatures just isn't in our thinking!

Numerous research studies have shown that certain food properties are sensitive to temperatures above 118°F / 47.7°. It is for this reason that foods cannot be called 'raw' where they have been exposed to anything above this temperature. But there is more to achieving a 'raw' status with honey! Whilst pasteurization is all about temperature, raw is additionally about maintaining the honey as it exists in the beehive. And to achieve a raw honey one must not fine filter the honey, as this removes the nutritious bee bread, pollens, minerals and other 100% natural properties.

UNPASTURISED VS RAW HONEY

Unfortunately, not all honey brands adopt these standards and we currently have a situation where the labeling of honey can be misleading with the lines being blurred between a honey which is pasteurized, unpasteurized and raw. For example, a honey producer could process their honey at 122°F / 50°C, which can be labeled 'unpasteurized' but due to the honey going through a heat treament above 118 °F / 47.7°C the honey should not be classed as raw honey. Likewise, if the honey was finely filtered, regardless of temperature the honey was processed at, it should not be called raw.

HOW RAW IS YOUR HONEY

The above thermometer features the typical Manuka honey pasteurization and 'creaming' process temperatures. At Steens, we are passionate about maintaining our honeys natural integrity with all its beneficial properties intact! To achieve this we only maintain temperatures that naturally occur in the beehive while minimally processing our honey.

STEENS RAW HONEY vs PASTEURISED/CREAMED HONEY

• Steens: Vitamins, minerals & nutrients remain intact VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Nutrients los in the heating process
• Steens: Thicker consistency, slightly grainy texture VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Smooth, refined & creamy appearance
• Steens: Amazing aromas and flavour profile VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Diminished flavour profile
• Steens: Contains Bee Bread VS. Pasteurised/Creamed: Depleted of bee bread

ALL THIS BEGS THE QUESTION - WHY PASTEURISE OR EVEN HEAT HONEY

Honey is pasteurised to control crystallisation and eliminate the honey spoiling by neutralizing yeast cells however in doing so it destroys some of the nutritional benefits. We manage yeast through specific quality management processes when managing the hives. Most Manuka honeys marketed as raw honey are in fact creamed honeys that have been heated several times and pasteurised at 66°C / 150°F.

To determine if your honey has been pasteurised or raw - ask the brand what the maximum temperature their honey has been processed and has it been filtered

CONVENTIONAL EXTRACTION – WHAT IT LEAVES BEHIND

The conventional method of honey extraction for Manuka is known as 'prick and spin', this technique involves piercing the individual honey cells, then inserting the frame into a centrifugal spinner and forcing the liquid honey out. This process leaves the honey cells (wax) mostly intact on the bee frames but is wasteful in that it also leaves behind the nutritious bee bread, pollen and a higher percentage of honey.

AN OPPORTUNITY TO DO THINGS DIFFERENTLY

At Steens our family bee keeping operations, extraction and packing facilities are all based under the same roof at our modern facility based in the Wairarapa, New Zealand. Having full control over our product has allowed us to do things differently.

THE BENEFITS OF WHOLE COMB

• Raw & unpasteurised
• Contains bee bread
• Amazing aromas & flavour profile
• Thixotropic (thick) honey

...WITH BEE BREAD

Bee Bread is among one of the oldest dietary supplements known to man. It is widely recognised as a nourishing and complete natural food. Steens honey is unique to other Manuka honeys because it contains the highest levels of a substance called bee bread. You may have already heard about bee pollen and how nutritious it is.

Bee bread is the result of plant pollen that is taken into the hive by the bees. The bees add honey to pollen stored within the honeycomb. It then undergoes a process which breaks down the hard outer shell of plant pollen, making it easier for humans to digest. Bee bread is the food the worker bees use to make royal jelly.

At Steens our Whole Comb technology retains high levels of this precious substance within our honey.

OUR STORY

But unlike most knights in shining armour, this guy was on a pushbike and the damsel in distress had a flat tyre. He was a butcher, she was a teacher and he thought she was a honey and so the story begins...

Living on New Zealand's beautiful coastline the newlyweds were young and full of dreams. Bees captured their imagination and their burgeoning career in beekeeping began. Butcher in residence was no longer, Sheryl continued teaching so they could eat.

Soon after buying their first 3 beehives their company began to grow wings - literally millions of them. They were growing at a rapid rate and so was the family - now six! Looking back they were challenging but exciting times.

Then in the 1980's, Dr Peter Molan at the University of Waikato revealed the unique properties of Manuka honey.

Steens focused on this incredible honey, they were one of the founding beekeepers of the AMHA (Active Manuka Honey Association) now known as the UMF association. 36 years later Steens continues to play a critical role in the industry.

It was Paul and Sheryl's passion for bees and their endeavour for a healthy, sustainable lifestyle that was the beginning of Steens. It was these same convictions that lead them to keep their honey raw and in it's purest form.

Paul & Sheryl were dis-heartened to see inferior honey being labelled as Manuka. They wanted to give their family the very best honey that nature provided and they wanted to share that with everyone.

So they set out to develop a better way to minimally process their honey, one that ensured all the natural and fresh properties of the honeycomb were retained. The result was achieved via a modern take on the traditional honey press with a proprietary process now known as Steens whole comb technology.

'It's just like dipping your finger straight into the honeycomb!'