From Fall Wellness to Holiday Gifting: Bees & Trees Mānuka Honey Celebrates 15 Years of Bringing "Liquid Gold" to U.S. Pantries

ATLANTA, Sept. 10, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- As families return to school, fall routines settle in and the holiday season comes into view, Mānuka honey is finding a place at the intersection of food, wellness and gifting. For Bees & Trees Honey, that interest comes at a meaningful moment: the family-owned honey company is celebrating its 15th anniversary of bringing authentic New Zealand Mānuka honey—the country's famous "liquid gold"—to American consumers.

Mānuka honey has been the subject of extensive scientific research examining its antimicrobial and antioxidant properties and its interactions with inflammatory pathways. Much of that interest centers on its naturally occurring bioactive compounds, including dietary methylglyoxal (MGO), which is associated with Mānuka honey's distinctive antimicrobial activity.

Bees & Trees offers several Mānuka honey options, including 350+ MGO "Mid-Activity", 550+ MGO "High-Activity" and 830+ MGO "Founder's Reserve" ($33-$65), along with gift options and multi-jar selections. Each batch is independently tested for its MGO level, giving consumers a clear measure of MGO concentration in each batch. Customers incorporate the honey into daily wellness routines and turn to it especially during cold and flu season, enjoying it by the spoonful or in warm tea and lemon water, while also using its distinctive flavor in culinary recipes.

During the brief flowering season of the native Mānuka tree (Leptospermum scoparium), bees forage among its delicate white blossoms in remote forests. Many hive sites are so isolated that the hives must be transported by helicopter.

Co-founded in 2011 by Mike Everly after he became interested in Mānuka honey while living in New Zealand, Bees & Trees was built around a simple idea: if Americans were going to experience Mānuka honey, they should taste the real thing. After returning to the United States in 2012, Everly and his family introduced the brand to American consumers while continuing to own and operate the beehives and honey production facility in New Zealand where Bees & Trees Mānuka honey is produced.

Today, Bees & Trees manages approximately 1,200 to 1,500 hives in the rugged hill country of eastern Taranaki on New Zealand's North Island and oversees its honey from hive through extraction, aging and testing to the finished jar. That vertically integrated, hive-to-jar approach gives the U.S.-based company direct control over the provenance and quality of its honey and has remained at the heart of Bees & Trees for 15 years.

Following harvest, Bees & Trees Mānuka honey is carefully extracted and aged for 12 to 24 months under controlled temperatures, allowing its flavor and naturally occurring compounds to develop over time. The honey is minimally processed and never pasteurized or exposed to high heat, helping preserve its natural qualities, rich flavor and smooth, creamy texture before it is packed in glass jars.

Mānuka honey's appeal extends beyond the wellness ritual. Its rich, complex flavor and creamy texture make it an extraordinary culinary ingredient, equally at home on a breakfast table, in a cup of tea, drizzled over a cheese board or incorporated into a sophisticated recipe. For many, a daily spoonful becomes an appealing fall ritual, ideal for fire-honey remedies—enjoyed straight from the jar, stirred into warm tea or lemon water, or added to breakfast.

But Mānuka honey isn't simply sweet. Its distinctive flavor brings caramel-like richness, floral notes and complexity to both sweet and savory foods. The result is less about adding a sweetener and more about using honey as an ingredient that brings flavor and depth to the entire dish.

As the holiday season approaches, this premium Mānuka honey offers a distinctive alternative to the usual bottle of wine or box of chocolates. Bees & Trees' gift box can be paired with a beautiful wooden honey spoon ($41), turning a jar of New Zealand Mānuka honey into an elegant, ready-to-give culinary gift—one that is both useful and indulgent and can be enjoyed long after the holidays. It makes a thoughtful gift for a host, a food lover, a well-ness-minded friend or the person who has everything.

Bees & Trees Mānuka honey is available directly from the company, on Amazon and through select specialty food and independent retailers across the U.S. Visit www.beesandtrees.com.

Contact:
Kristen Green
415-567-2999
[email protected]

SOURCE Bees & Trees Manuka Honey, NZ