Sweet Success

Manawa Honey from Ruatāhuna, nestled in the remote Te Urewera wilderness, has had its Rewarewa honey crowned Best Tasting Honey in the World at the annual Black Jar International Honey Tasting Contest, held in North Carolina, USA. Manawa Honey was created to create jobs and prosperity for Tūhoe locals and inspire the rangatahi (youth). “The collective goal for the people of Ruatāhuna is to keep our people here and to be self-sufficient,” says CEO Brenda Tahi. “We’ve lost generations to bigger centres in search of work but we’re working together to change this trend.” Chief Beekeeper Hekenoa (Taawi) Te Kurapa was born and bred in Ruatāhuna. He learnt beekeeping through distance education with Lincoln University years ago, and has led the beekeeping team at Manawa ever since. The company specialises in producing exquisite native honeys from the diverse flora within Te Urewera forest, and its honey range also includes Tāwari and Pua-ā-Tāne (impressively, both also made the finals of the Black Jar contest, which had more than 600 entries) and Mānuka.
→ Available at Countdown and manawahoney.co.nz

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