World’s rarest honey which is farmed on remote island in New Zealand that can only be accessed by helicopter launches in Selfridges and Harrods (but it will set you back £1,799!)

• The prestigious honey has a limited edition run of just 1,000 jars
• READ MORE: FEMAIL tries out 27 mince pies from supermarkets across the UK

The world’s rarest honey has gone on sale in London, but it will set you back £1.799.

Farmed on remote island in New Zealand that can only be accessed by helicopter, the 230g has launched in Selfridges and Harrords.

The Rare Harvest 2050 MGO Mānuka Honey stands as the rarest and highest grade mānuka honey in the world, extracted by helicopter from the forests of New Zealand.

These prestigious bottles, hailing from The The True Honey Co  have a limited edition run of just 1,000 jars.

Known as the ultimate wellness elixir, the condiment can be consumed in a variety of ways, from being spread on toast to added to a cup of hot lemon water – and it has unbeatable health benefits.

Every aspect about The True Honey Co.’s ‘liquid gold’ has been carefully considered – from the location, timing and utmost care for their bees, to the elegant design and richness of the jars in which it is stored. 

The Rare Harvest 2050 MGO Mānuka Honey stands as the rarest and highest grade mānuka honey in the world, extracted by helicopter from the forests of New Zealand

Independently verified by the UMF™ Honey Association has confirmed this condiments position as the highest UMF™ mānuka honey in world history.

Limited quantities of the Rare Harvest 2050 jars are now exclusively available through select partners, Harrods and Selfridges, alongside the previous collaboration range: Rare Harvest 1900+ MGO product and Rare Harvest 1700+.

Campbell Naish, Acting CEO at the association, said although exciting, seeing the Rare Harvest achieve 34 UMF™ came as little surprise. ‘We conduct up to 3,000 batch tests each year, across more than 200 brands,’ he explained. 

‘We also test non-UMF honey in New Zealand as well as offshore, to benchmark the performance of our members.

‘We know that The True Honey Co. is committed to achieving the highest rating they possibly can, have a track record of producing high rating honey and have tailored their processes to do so. 

‘Like any high performing organisation, they are always looking to push the boundaries.’

Morgan O’Shea-Smith, Harrods food buyer, said: ‘It’s an honour to be part of another world record from The True Honey Co. and this incredible mānuka honey now sits proudly in our store.’

MGO refers to methylglyoxal, a sugar molecule with special health properties, found in most table honey in very small quantities.

In The True Honey Co.’s exceptionally pure, luxury honeys, the MGO can be over a hundred times higher.

MGO refers to methylglyoxal, a sugar molecule with special health properties, found in most table honey in very small quantities

Honey claiming to have high UMF™, or Unique Mānuka Factor (which is a measurement that considers the MGO, along with other properties of the honey) is tested by the UMF™ Honey Association and given a rating, helping to ensure that New Zealand is maintaining mānuka honey quality for consumers around the globe.

Jim McMillan (Te Atiawa), the founder and CEO of The True Honey Co., says a jar of his most precious mānuka honey is delicious, particularly consumed straight off a spoon.

‘It certainly has a strong flavour,’ he said. ‘It’s similar to toffee – both sweet and savoury, with a slight mocha note. I absolutely love it. But there’s also the experience of feeling its natural goodness running through your body.

‘Our customers tell us they buy our Rare Harvest wanting to invest in the best of the best for optimal health and wellbeing.’

With only 1,000 highly coveted amber glass jars available, each sealed with a luxurious hand-turned native timber lid, demand for the Rare Harvest 2050 MGO has already exceeded expectation.

Jim attributes this success to the team’s dedication and the unique environmental conditions necessary for producing such high-grade honey.

Half of this extremely limited-edition honey was sold to eager customers – excited by the prospect of a high performing honey that is widely known to boost immunity, relieve symptoms of cold and flu and promote gut health – weeks before it launched.

‘I feel really proud of our team for their enthusiasm and commitment when it comes to the production of ultra-high grade mānuka honey,’ said Jim.

‘To make mānuka honey of this grade takes an exceptional set of environmental circumstances along with the utmost care and attention to the hives and honey maturation process.’

These remote locations require precision and care, so Jim deploys helicopters to drop the hives into their top-secret locations, where they stay for the duration of the mānuka flowering season before being lifted out, ensuring only the absolute purest nectar.

This approach has been in place for a decade, since the first time Jim spotted a block of mānuka from the sky and thought ‘We should produce honey there!’

‘It’s a precision operation,’ Jim explained. ‘Using helicopters means we can place our hives in the middle of remote dense stands of mānuka – places roads don’t reach – ensuring only the absolute purest mānuka nectar is sourced.’

Each jar of The True Honey Co.’s Rare Harvest 2050 MGO ( comes with its own drizzler and is encased in a special hand crafted mānuka blossom box. 

The True Honey Co.’s chief marketing officer, Jane Willersdorf, believes those who secure a jar will fall in love with the honey, thanks to its luxurious taste and texture, and enjoy its wellness properties.

‘It’s exciting to share our latest achievement with some of the world’s most discerning consumers – those who recognise the beautiful, pure mānuka honey we produce as the very best in the world.’

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